Biofuel Generation and Usage from Invasive Aquatic Weeds

Today fossil fuels are limited in supply and are depleting rapidly. Cost of LPG cylinder has gone from Rs. 400/- to Rs. 1000/- and will keep on hiking. Disposal of bio-waste is another menace. These concerns have forced man to seriously consider bio-fuels. Several studies have been reported about the biogas production especially from aquatic plant biomass (Dieter and Anjelika, 2008, Soma Dutta eta al 1997, Mital,1997). However, it is still not popular among urban and semi urban house holds in spite of for several advantages viz, economy, availability of substrate and waste disposal to name a few. Among the aquatic weeds tested, Eichhornia generated the highest quantity of biogas per kg volatile matter (236.3 litre).The present work highlight the fact that recurring cost of biogas is far less than other fuels and use of abundantly available Eichhornia, Pistia and Salvinia will further bring down the fuel cost which will be a gain to lakhs of financially backward coir factory workers of Alappuzha and Cherthala. Domestic kitchen waste disposal is another headache for the urban population which will also be taken care of with the portable synthetic digesters.