An overview of the potential utilisation of oleaginous yeast for biodiesel feedstock and wastewater treatment

Abstract

Abstract The modern world faces a number of alarming problems, including global warming, the energy crisis brought on by the depletion of fossil fuels, and improper waste treatment. Consequently, it is essential to pursue sustainable development and find alternative energy sources that can reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. One of the most potential concepts is using lipids produced by microbes (bacteria, algae, and yeast) as the primary raw material for generating sustainable and affordable biodiesel in conjunction with the degradation of pollutants in wastewater. Numerous characteristics of oleaginous yeast have been demonstrated, including a high lipid output, resemblance of the lipids to vegetable oils, and a low land demand. Oleaginous yeasts, which can accumulate more than 20% of dry cell weight in lipids, are among the finest microbiological possibilities capable of generating lipids in high concentrations and with the proper properties. Several oleaginous yeast species are capable of degrading up to 90% of COD in wastewater. This paper aims to give a general overview of producing biodiesel from oleaginous yeast using wastewater as a substrate source. In addition, to discussing the technical aspects of producing biodiesel from oleaginous yeasts, the paper also discusses the economic feature of biodiesel production from oleaginous yeasts.