Cultivation of microalgae for bioethanol production emerged as one of the
potential solutions to drive green and sustainable biofuel production. Microalgae are
photosynthetic microorganisms that can grow rapidly and are able to accumulate high
content of carbohydrate within their cells. The carbohydrate is usually stored in the
form of starch, which is easier to breakdown to simple reducing sugar compared to
lignocellulosic biomass. In the present chapter, the process route to produce bioethanol
from microalgae biomass is discussed, including the cultivation strategies to enhance
microalgae carbohydrate productivity, biomass pre-treatment methods, hydrolysis and
fermentation process.
Keywords: Microalgae, Bioethanol, Carbohydrate, Hydrolysis, Fermentation,
Starch, Distillation, Biofuel, Pre-treatment, Energy.
