Integrated production for biodiesel and 1,3-propanediol with lipase-catalyzed transesterification and fermentation

Biodiesel, a renewable alternative to fossil energy, has shown great prospects for global proliferation in the past decade. Lipase catalyzed transesterification for biodiesel production, as a biological process with many advantages has drawn increasing attention. As a by-product, glycerol accounts for about 10% w/w of biodiesel during the process of biodiesel production. As a result, the conversion of glycerol has become a common problem which has to be resolved if considering large amount of biodiesel production. Glycerol can be fermented into 1,3-propanediol, a high value added chemical with a promising future in the polymers, for example, polytrimethylene terephthalate, and also fermentation approaches for 1,3-propanediol production which have drawn more and more attention due to advantages such as relatively low investment, mild reaction conditions and using renewable sources as the starting materials. Based on the latest technology advancements in lipase-mediated transformation for biodiesel production, the aerobic fermentation technology and genetic engineering for 1,3-propanediol production, and the integrated production of 1,3-propanediol from crude glycerol could be a promising way to improve the profit of the whole process during biodiesel production.