The article from the University of Nottingham about how seawater could be used to lower freshwater footprint of bioethanol when combined with a new strain of marine yeast. According to a University of Nottingham statement, it is estimated that between 1,388 and 9,812 litres of freshwater are consumed for every litre of bioethanol that is produced.
Dr. Abdelrahman Zaky, a microbiologist in the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham, said: “Current fermentation technologies mainly use edible crops and freshwater for the production of bioethanol,” and “With an ever growing population and demand for biofuels and other bio-based produces, there are concerns over the use of the limited freshwater and food crops resources for non-nutritional activities. Also, freshwater has a high price tag in countries where it is available, pushing up the price of production.”
Read more: https://go.nature.com/2NmhY17