Alternative Feedstock For Biodiesel Production Research Articles

Valorization of fat balls and primary scum from wastewater treatment: a promising renewable lipid feedstock for biodiesel production.

We investigated the potential of waste materials from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to serve as an alternative lipid feedstock for biodiesel production. The average lipid recoveries from fat balls (46.4%) and primary scum (49.5-54.5%) were higher than the lipid recovery of primary sludge (15.8-16.4%). The yield of biodiesel produced from the extracted lipids ranged from 5.7 to 20.1%. There were considerable site- and season-dependent variations in the characteristics of the lipid waste materials. Radiocarbon analysis indicated the presence of fossil-derived carbon (26.0-42.0%) in the biodiesel obtained from wastewater lipids. Finally, we estimated the potential for biodiesel production from WWTP-derived lipids; about 333.0 metric tons of biodiesel per year could be produced from fat balls and primary scum in Japan. The results indicate that lipid-rich materials from WWTPs represent a valuable alternative feedstock for biodiesel production.

Valorization of palm oil mill effluent via enhanced oil recovery as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production.

Residual oil from palm oil mill effluent (POME) can be valorized into value-added products like biofuel. However, the complex structure in POME limits the full recovery of intracellular lipids. To address this challenge, low-frequency ultrasonication was used as a pre-treatment prior to oil recovery to improve the yield by liberating the entrapped oil via the cell disruption technique. This study focused on optimizing the ultrasound conditions (i.e., ultrasonication amplitude, ultrasonication duration, and probe immersion depth) to maximize the improvement of oil recovery yield using response surface methodology. The optimized conditions were 30.074% ultrasonication amplitude, 0.167 min ultrasonication duration, and 2 cm probe immersion depth. This resulted in an additional 42.50% improvement in oil recovery yield over non-ultrasonicated POME, which is in close agreement with the model prediction. Additionally, a cost-benefit analysis was incorporated to determine the feasibility of ultrasonication for enhancing oil recovery. The study also explored the synthesis of biodiesel from POME-recovered oil and characterized the fuel attributes according to American Society for Testing and Materials- and European Standards-prescribed procedures. The attributes of biodiesel produced from POME-recovered oil are comparable to those of palm-based biodiesel in Malaysia, demonstrating its potential as an alternative source for biodiesel production.

Exploiting the Complementary Potential of Rice Bran Oil as a Low-Cost Raw Material for Bioenergy Production

Rice is one of the most consumed cereals in the world. From rice processing, rice bran is obtained, and only a part of this by-product is effectively used. Rice bran oil can be obtained and used as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production, although few studies exist to support its exploitation. In addition, pretreatment is required to reduce its acidity and allow for its integration in the conventional industrial process. This work evaluated two pretreatment processes aiming to reduce the free fatty acids (FFAs) content of rice bran oil by employing an acid-catalyzed process and a biocatalyzed process. The results allowed us to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of both pretreatments. For that purpose, acid (45, 55 and 65 °C, using H2SO4 concentrations of 2 wt.% or 4 wt.% and a methanol:oil molar ratio of 9:1) and enzymatic FFAs conversion (35 °C using a 6:1 methanol:oil molar ratio and 5 wt.% of Thermomyces lanuginosus) were evaluated using rice bran oil with an acid value around 47 mg KOH.g−1, and the reaction kinetics were assessed. Acid esterification enabled a 92% acidity reduction (65 °C, 4 wt.% of catalyst) after 8 h, with the final product presenting an acid value of 3.7 mg KOH.g−1 and a biodiesel purity of 42 wt.%. The enzymatic process allowed an acidity reduction of 82%, resulting in a product with an acid value of 7.0 mg KOH.g−1; however, after 24 h, the biodiesel purity was 87 wt.% (almost a two-fold increase compared to that obtained in the homogeneous process), revealing the conversion of both free fatty acids and glycerides. The study of the reaction kinetics of the homogeneous (acid) esterification showed that, for temperatures > 45 °C, the constant rate increased with temperature. A higher constant rate was obtained for the temperature of 55 °C using 4 wt.% of catalyst (k′ = 0.13 min−1). For the heterogeneous (enzymatic) esterification, the constant rate obtained was lower (k′ = 0.028 min−1), as expected. The study revealed the technical viability of the esterification pretreatment of rice bran oil and the important parameters concerning the performance of the pretreatment solutions. Finally, the enzymatic process should be further explored, aiming to develop more ecofriendly processes (water and energy savings) to produce biodiesel from oils with a high acidity (low-cost raw materials).

Characterization of the Nuclear Proteome of Chlamydomonas in Response to Salt Stress

Microalgae biomass is considered a promising alternative feedstock for biodiesel production due to its high productivity of neutral lipids, especially under abiotic stress conditions. Among the unicellular microalgae that show this characteristic, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii appears as one of the most important model species with increased lipid production under abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we show that C. reinhardtii cells cultivated under mixotrophic condition supplemented with 0.1 M of NaCl rapidly raise their intracellular amount of neutral lipids without a reduction in their cellular growth rate, representing a promising condition for biomass production toward bioenergy applications. The nuclear proteome of these cells was investigated, and we identified 323 proteins with an enrichment of almost 60% of nuclear proteins in the total dataset. We found 61 proteins differentially regulated upon salt treatment, including proteins annotated in functional categories related to translation and nucleosome assembly functions. Additionally, we identified transcription factor proteins (TFs) and analyzed their likely transcription factor-binding regulatory elements, identifying target genes related to lipid metabolism and kinase functions, indicating possible regulatory pathways of lipid biosynthesis. Together, these data can help understand regulatory nuclear mechanisms, leading to an increase in lipids in the first 24 h of salt stress.

Optimization of Pretreatment Conditions and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Corn Cobs for Production of Microbial Lipids by Trichosporon oleaginosus

Microbial lipids produced from lignocellulosic biomass are sustainable alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. In this study, corn cobs were used as a carbon source for lipid production and growth of oleaginous yeast Trichosporon oleaginosus. Lignocellulosic biomass was subjected to alkali and acid pretreatment using sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide under different temperatures, catalyst concentrations and treatment times. Pretreatment of corn cobs was followed by cellulase hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of alkali pretreated (2% NaOH at 50 °C for 6 h, 1% NaOH at 50 °C for 16 h, 2% NaOH at 121 °C for 1 h, 1% NaOH at 121 °C for 2 h) and acid pretreated (1% H2SO4 120 °C for 20 min, and 2% H2SO4 120 °C for 10 min) corn cobs resulted in more than 80% of the theoretical yield of glucose. The effect of substrate (5, 10, 15 and 20%, g g−1) and cellulase loading (15 and 30 Filter Paper Units per gram of glucan, FPU g−1) on fermentable sugar yield was also studied. The maximal glucose concentration of 81.64 g L−1 was obtained from alkali-pretreated corn cobs (2% NaOH at 50 °C for 6 h) at 20% substrate loading and 30 FPU of Cellic CTec2 g−1 of glucan. Enzymatic hydrolysates of pretreated biomasses and filtrates of lignocellulosic slurries obtained after pretreatment were used for growth and lipid synthesis by T. oleaginosus. The highest lipid concentration of 18.97 g L−1 was obtained on hydrolysate of alkali-pretreated corn cobs (with 1% NaOH at 50 °C for 16 h) using a 15% (g g−1) substrate loading and 15 FPU g−1 of cellulase loading. Significant lipid accumulation was also achieved using undetoxified filtrates of pretreated slurries as substrates. Results showed that pretreated corn cobs and undetoxified filtrates are suitable carbon sources for the growth and efficient accumulation of lipids in T. oleaginosus.

Strategies for Improvement of Lipid Production by Yeast Trichosporon oleaginosus from Lignocellulosic Biomass.

Microbial lipids have similar fatty acid composition to plant oils, and therefore, are considered as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Oleaginous yeasts accumulate considerable amounts of lipids intracellularly during growth on low-cost renewable feedstocks such as lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we cultivated yeast Trichosporon oleaginosus on hydrolysate of alkaline pretreated corn cobs. Different process configurations were evaluated and compared, including separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) with cellulase recycle and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) in batch and fed-batch mode. At low enzyme loading, the highest lipid concentration of 26.74 g L−1 was reached in fed-batch SSF fed with 2.5% (g g−1) substrate. Batch SHF was conducted for four rounds with recycling the cellulase adsorbed on unhydrolyzed lignocellulosic biomass. Thirty percent of cellulase saving was achieved for rounds 2–4 without compromising productivity and lipid yield. The addition of Tween 80 to lignocellulosic slurry improved the hydrolysis rate of structural carbohydrates in pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. Furthermore, supplementing the growth medium with Tween 80 improved lipid yield and productivity without affecting yeast growth. Oleaginous yeast T. oleaginosus is a promising strain for the sustainable and efficient production of lipids from renewable lignocellulosic feedstock.

Simultaneous Lipid Production and Valorization of Crude Glycerol by Mixotrophic and Heterotrophic Cultivation of <em>Arthrospira platensis

This study investigates the possible use of crude glycerol as external carbon source for mixotrophic and heterotrophic cultivation of Arthrospira platensis for the purpose of producing lipid. Recently, biodiesel has become a remarkable biofuel while cyanobacterial lipid is an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. In this study effect of carbon source concentration, trophic culture type on production of biomass, chlorophyll, protein, total carbohydrate and lipid were examined. In terms of total lipid content, the highest value was detected as 5.78 ± 0.21 mg/g cell with 10 mM crude glycerol in mixotrophic cultivation on 18th day. Higher specific growth rates were detected in mixotrophic cultures. The fatty acid composition was detected by gas chromatography. The produced lipid had the basic fatty acids for a quality biodiesel production — palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. The biodiesel potential of produced lipid was investigated. The indicator of oxidative stability of the fuel, iodine value was in accordance with UNE-EN 14214. Cetane number and oxidative stability are related to productive combustion characteristics of fuel which comply with ASTM 6751 standards. These results show that the fatty acid composition of the produced lipid, from a waste material via economical fermentation, is suitable for a qualitative fuel production.

Otimization of Crambe abyssinica enzymatic transesterification using response surface methodology

Crambe abyssinica is a non-edible crop able to adapt to adverse climatic conditions, arising as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. With this objective, an eco-friendly route for biodiesel production from crambe oil by enzymatic transesterification was evaluated in order to maximize fatty acid methyl esters content. Response Surface Methodology and central composite design (two factors, three levels, one central point, two replicas) was used to obtain predictive models considering catalyst concentration and methanol:oil molar ratio as independent variables. Since the reaction was monitored overtime, a predictive model considering three independent variables (three factors, three levels) was also obtained. Enzymatic transesterification is a good alternative process to obtain high FAME yield, with 84 ± 5 wt % being obtained after 2 h using a methanol:oil molar ratio 6:1 and 8 wt% of enzyme, a value which predictably can increase to almost 99 wt% after 24 h. The results showed that the methanol:oil molar ratio and the enzyme’s concentration considerably influence the FAME content during enzymatic catalyzed reaction. The polynomial regression models obtained can help to balance the concentration of enzyme and alcohol to improve FAME production and to predict the resulting yield.

New non-edible Allanblackia parviflora seed oil as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production and characterization of the fuel

This study is aimed at producing biodiesel from Allanblackia parviflora seed oil as a new non-edible alternative resource. The amount of oil extracted from the seeds was approximately 49% and was mainly composed of linoleic acids (66.68). The Allanblackia parviflora methyl esters (APME) were prepared using NaOH as a homogeneous base-catalyst for the transesterification. The rate of conversion of the triglycerides to methyl esters was determined using Gas Chromatograph with an optimum yield of 97.1%. The conditions under which this maximum yield (97.1%) was obtained include methanol to Allanblackia parviflora oil ratio of 6:1, reaction temperature of 60 ℃, NaOH concentration of 1% and reaction time of 2 h. The properties of the methyl esters were comparable to fuel properties of conventional diesel using ASTM and European Union standards. The seeds of Allanblackia parviflora can be described as promising non-edible resource.

Production of biodiesel from high free fatty acids content Jatropha curcas oil using environment affable K–Mg composite catalyst

AbstractWorldwide chemical industries are concerned towards pollution‐free and green processes. In this regard, alternative energy resource having minimal pollutant and toxins emission would be preferred. Jatropha curcas (JCO) is one of the important and alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. In the present work, JCO with higher (5.5%) free fatty acid (FFA) was used for transesterification using K–Mg composite catalyst. It found that 1:2 ratio of K/Mg was the best combination for efficient conversion of JCO to corresponding methyl esters. Physico‐chemical characterization of this novel catalyst exhibited improved surface area with adequate porosity as well as basicity helping its exceptional catalytic activity. Under optimum condition, 99.5% conversion was achieved using 10:1 ratio of methanol to JCO for 3 h at 70°C using 6 wt% of catalyst. This catalyst was truly heterogeneous in nature and almost retained its activity for subsequent re‐using for next five batches. The developed catalyst is highly efficient and greener in terms of lesser leaching behaviour and retaining the basic catalytic sites in the course of transesterification. The fuel properties of the biodiesel are fully complied with ASTM protocols; thus, research findings are significant to fulfil the demand of biodiesel in present scenario.

Evaluation of Raffia Palm Weevil Larvae (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) as a Potential Biodiesel Resource

Ethical issues arise when arable agricultural land and heavy agronomic inputs are used to cultivate crops for energy production such as biodiesel. Alternative feedstocks for biodiesel production might solve the food energy competition scenario. White raffia larvae (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) appears as a credible option because of its high lipid content, a relatively short life cycle and its abundance in the tropical environment. This study investigated the use of R. phoenicis larvae for biodiesel production. R. phoenicis larvae was grown on raphia stipe for 21 days and used for crude grease extraction. The extracted crude grease was converted into biodiesel by acid-catalyzed esterification and alkaline-catalyzed trans-esterification. The physicochemical properties of crude grease and biodiesel were investigated using the European biodiesel standard (EN14214), and the American Society of Testing materials specifications. The defatted extraction residue was analyzed using the AOAC protocol. Results revealed that the cetane number, heating value, acid value and density of crude grease were found to be higher than those of rapeseed while kinematic viscosity and iodine values were smaller. The conversion yield of free fatty acids of crude grease into biodiesel reached 85%. The fuel properties of biodiesel obtained are quite comparable with those of EN 14214 and ASTM standard. The defatted extraction residue exhibited high protein content (66,76%) and mineral which make it suitable for animal and human feed supplement. Therefore, it was concluded that, the R. phoenicis larvae can be used as valuable feedstock for biodiesel production and animal feed resources.

Screening of native hyper-lipid producing microalgae strains for biomass and lipid production

Microalgae as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production has achieved attention because of increasing fuel demand, climate change as well as global warming. For this purpose, 41 local microalgae strains belonging to 5 different phyla having the capability of best survival in climatic conditions were isolated from aquatic sources. The selection of most robust strains ( C. vulgaris, S. dimorphus, S. obliquus, Selenastrum sp , and C. humicola ) was based on biomass and lipid productivity. The microalgae C. vulgaris had highest performance in terms of biomass in BG-11 medium (1.86 ± 0.1 g/L) as compared to wastewater (1.14 ± 0.3 g/L) followed by S. obliquus . Moreover, the highest lipid contents were obtained in heterotrophic conditions (35.1 ± 1.0%) in C. vulgaris and the overall lipid productivity was high in mixotrophic condition because of high biomass contents. The extracted oil was analyzed for fatty acid contents and the strains S. dimorphus and S. obliquus have high contents of saturated fatty acids (SFA, 63.67% and 63.60%, respectively). Whereas, C. vulgaris has high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids, saturated ones and (MUFA 81.28%) as well as low polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA 18.72%) are the factors that make this high quality biodiesel a strong competitor of fossil fuels. • Isolation of 41 microalgae strains from freshwater and wastewater resources. • Top 5 isolates proved effectiveness as biomass producers in mixotrophic conditions. • Microalgae C. vulgaris had highest performance in terms of biomass in BG-11 medium. • Stearic acid (C18:0) is predominant fatty acid in most of the strains.

Purification and Valorization of Waste Cotton Seed Oil as an Alternative Feedstock for Biodiesel Production.

This article is focused on the production of biodiesel from the waste cotton seed oil (WCSO), after purification, as an alternative to fossil fuels. Waste oil was collected from Sodecoton, a factory producing cotton seed oil in the Far North Cameroon. The WCSO was subjected to purification using activated coal, followed by transesterification under basic conditions (potassium hydroxide (KOH)), using methanol and ethanol. Some physico–chemical properties of biodiesel, such as absorbance of waste and purified oil, density, viscosity, water content, acid value, and its energy content were determined. The result of treating the WCSO with activated coal indicated that purification efficiency of activated coal increased with the contact time and the mass of the absorbent. Absorbance results directly proved that activated coal removed unwanted components. In the same way, activated coal concentration and exposure time influenced the level of free fatty acids of WCSO. The yield of methyl ester was 97%, while that of ethyl ester was 98%. The specific gravity at 25 °C was 0.945 ± 0.0601. An evaluation of the lower calorific value (PCI) was done in order to study the energy content of biodiesel. This was found to be a value of 37.02 ± 3.05 MJ/kg for methyl ester and 36.92 ± 7.20 MJ/kg for ethyl ester. WCSO constitutes feedstock for high volume, good quality, and sustainable production of biodiesel, as well as a realistic means of eliminating the pollution resulting from the indiscriminate disposal of waste oils from both household and industrial users.

Effect of glucose concentration and cultivation days on Chlorella vulgaris growth via immobilization technique for biodiesel production

Immobilization technique had been utilized to simplify the separation process of microalgae biomass for biodiesel production in the present study. The optimization using response surface methodology (RSM) through central composite design (CCD) approach had been applied to maximize the number of cells growth and minimized the cells loss of Chlorella vulgaris cells via immobilization technique. Two effects were optimized by CCD consisting of glucose concentration and cultivation days. The glucose concentration at 23.99 g/L and 7.96 days of cultivation time were found to be the optimum conditions for the maximum number of cells growth (3.30 × 109 cells/mL) and a minimum number of cells lost (1.07 × 104 cells/mL). The optimization using CCD had increased the lipid to 51.6 % and the result of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profile is similar to non-bearing oil crop. The findings had revealed the potential of immobilized microalgae biomass as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Moreover, this study had reported optimum conditions for an efficient recovery process via immobilization technique using mixed matrices.

Glycerolysis of Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) as Biodiesel Feedstock Using Heterogeneous Catalyst

Biodiesel is normally produced through transesterification of triglycerides with methanol in the presence of an alkaline catalyst. With the uncertain crude oil prices and competition of vegetable oils used for food purposes, alternative feedstock for biodiesel production has to be studied. In this study, palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a by-product of the palm oil refinery was used as a feedstock. Glycerolysis reaction was carried out from 160 to 200 °C in the presence of a natural CaO catalyst derived from raw chicken eggshell. The commercial CaO was also evaluated as a control. The results showed that the free fatty acid (FFA) was reduced from 81 to 1.5% using activated eggshell as catalyst at reaction temperature of 180 °C and catalyst dosage of 1.5 wt% while commercial CaO reduced FFA to 3.7% at reaction temperature of 200 °C and 1.5 wt% of catalyst dosage, respectively. The treated PFAD can be used for biodiesel production.

Effects of Amine and Phenolic Based Antioxidants on the Stability of Babassu Biodiesel Using Rancimat and Differential Scanning Calorimetry Techniques

Babassu (Attalea speciosa) is a typical oilseed from the Brazilian northeast that may be an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Generally, biodiesel is very susceptible to oxidation com...

Utilization of oil recovered from biodiesel wastewater as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production

AbstractBiodiesel is a renewable fuel commonly used to replace diesel. Currently, biodiesel production is controversial in food security circles because edible oils are used as biodiesel feedstock. This study investigates the use of nonedible oil, recovered from biodiesel wastewater (BWW), as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. BWW was treated with acidification with H2SO4 to recover the oil phase from the water. The major components of the recovered oil, 56.9 wt% ester and 38.1 wt% free fatty acids (FFA), demonstrated its potential as a feedstock for biodiesel production by esterification. The optimal conditions for biodiesel production from the recovered oil were 5 wt% H2SO4, a 2:1 M ratio of ethanol to FFA, a reaction temperature of 70°C, and a reaction time of 120 min. These conditions produced biodiesel with a purity of 97.7 wt% and a yield of 98.5 wt%. Additionally, the oil recovery process greatly reduced the pollutant load in BWW, bringing the cost of treatment below the usual cost of treating BWW with a high content of organic matter.

Acid-Base Catalyzed Transesterification of <i>Archontopheonix cunninghamiana</i> (Bangalow Palm) Seed Oil

Currently, majority of global energy is sourced from petrochemicals which comes with its attendant environmental challenges. Efforts are therefore focused on developing renewable sources for energy and biofuel is in the front burner for these alternatives. In this paper, we explored Archontopheonix cunninghamiana seed; an inedible and waste material, as an opportunity for alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. The oil extraction recorded a low yield which may not be economically viable; the transesterification of extracted oil gave 94.56% yield of biodiesel. Physicochemical analyses of the produced biodiesel showed viscosity of biodiesel to be 2.64 mm2 /s, which is within American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) and EN590:1999 petrol diesel specifications. It also has a pour point value of 8 °C which is within acceptable range of European Committee for Standardization EN590:2008 for petrol diesel. The flashpoint was found to be 110 °C which make for easy handling and transportation and agrees with EN14214:2008 minimum value of 101 °C. Spectroscopic studies done on the extracted oil and the produced biodiesel showed successful transesterification of the oil and good biodiesel quality.Keywords: Archontopheonix cunninghamiana, bangalow palm, transesterification, biodiesel

FAME production from residual materials: Optimization of the process by Box–Behnken model

In the worldwide more than 95% of biodiesel production feedstocks come from edible oils. The waste cooking oils (WCO) are an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production; its usage reduces significantly the cost of biodiesel production and has environmental benefits, e.g., a waste recovery instead of its elimination. This work aimed to optimize the process to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) using the response surface methodology and a Box–Behnken experimental design from mixtures of refined palm oil (RPO) with WCO using a residual solid material as catalyst (biomass fly ashes). The influence on FAME yield of four operational variables (catalyst loading, methanol/oil molar ratio, RPO/WCO ratio and reaction temperature) was studied. The higher FAME yield achieved using the RMS method was 77.06% for: 14.63 wt% of catalyst loading, 5.42/1of methanol/oil molar ratio, 14.81 wt% of RPO in the oil mixture and 55 °C for the reaction temperature.

Microbial lipids from cellulolytic oleaginous fungus Penicillium citrinum PKB20 as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production

Microbial lipids derived from oleaginous fungi are considered as an alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. We attempt to isolate a cellulolytic oleaginous fungi as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production. The fungus was identified by 5.8 S-ITS rRNA gene sequencing. The extracellular enzyme activities were recorded after every 24 h for 7 days. Nile red staining and fluorescence microscopy was used to visualise the lipid bodies within the fungal hyphae. A renewable heterogeneous base catalyst derived from Musa balbisiana cola peels was used for the transesterification of Penicillium citrinum PKB20 derived oil into biodiesel. GC-MS analysis was used to analyse the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) profile of the transesterified lipids. Penicillium citrinum PKB20 was isolated from detritus rich soil of Assam, India. The endoglucanase, xylanase and β-glucosidase enzyme activities were found to be 292.83 ± 0.29, 111.72 ± 0.45 and 6.54 ± 0.13 U/mg respectively. The specific enzyme activity for extracellular lipase was found to be 3.12 ± 0.16 U/mg. It could accumulate up to 60.61% of lipids in nitrogen-limited medium (7.34 ± 0.45 g/L biomass production). The extracted lipids were converted to biodiesel with 89.3% conversion efficiency. The predominant fatty acids were oleic acid (30.09%), palmitic acid (20.25%) and linoleic acid (33.14%) suggesting a balance between oxidative stability and cold flow properties for suitable biodiesel quality. Penicillium citrinum PKB20 was found to be a potential feedstock for biodiesel production with desirable fuel properties. The cellulolytic nature could be utilised for simultaneous lipid production directly on cellulosic substrates.