Research and Production of Third-Generation Biofuels

The increasing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, along with numerous environmental concerns, have prompted researchers to look into alternative sources of energy. The third generation of biofuels presents a fruitful insight with regard to a renewable energy solution as well as sustainable development. Algae present a huge scope with their abundant diversity in existence, which has evolved over a long period of time. Third-generation biofuels have undergone a great deal of advancement in technology. Also, they present a huge potential in the form of alternative fuels. Strain selection along with modification at its genetic level is exercised to achieve enhanced levels of biofuel. The algal biofuels present a huge advantage over other types of biofuel production, as they capture the carbon from the atmosphere thereby reducing carbon stress in the atmosphere. Another major advantage associated with the algal biofuels' production efficiency is that this is very high in comparison to other generations of biofuels. When compared with agricultural residues, the amount of area that the algal biofuels take for their production, is far less. Biohydrogen, biodiesel, and bioethanol production are the major products of algal fuels synthesis. The present development for third-generation biofuel production is very challenging and limited due to land resource and water so the technology is more expensive, and thus require better genetically modified algal strains for future research and development.