Electricity generation from sugarcane molasses using microbial fuel cell technologies

This work demonstrated the possibility of bioelectricity generation using microbial fuel cell technologies from sugarcane molasses by a bacterial strain isolated from molasses. The strain identified according to 16S rRNA as Brevibacillus borstelensis STRI1. Sugarcane molasses could be used as a substrate in MFC, because of its high sugar content. When the bacterial strain was used as biocatalyst and sugarcane molasses as a substrate in MFC. The voltage increased rapidly over time recording 990 ± 5 mV in open circuit voltage (OCV), and 453 ± 6 mV in closed circuit voltage (1000 Ω)after 10 days of operation. The power density (P_max)determined from the polarization curve, and it was 188.5 mW/m² with an initial concentration of sugarcane molasses 1 ml (1632 mg/L as COD). While the coulombic efficiencies (CEs)ranged from 59.8 to 28.03%, related to initial concentrations of 0.3 ± 0.05 to 2.0 ± 0.15 g/L. The COD removal was determined and it was 11.7% after 5 days and reached to 81.7% by the end of the operation (30 days). These results suggested that bioelectricity could be generated from sugarcane molasses by Brevibacillus borstelensis STRI1.