Optimum Conditions for Bioethanol Production from Potato of Bangladesh

Bangladesh produces a huge amount of potatoes every year. This research was carried out to find the optimum conditions for bioethanol production from potato of Bangladesh. From this study, optimum growth of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CCD) was observed at pH 6.0 and temperature 31˚C. Addition of a small amount of alpha-amylase enzyme to potato solution was found to en- hance the potato starch degradation and made the fermentation process quicker. This study ob- served that 1750 unit alpha-amylase is enough to degrade the starch in 15% of 500 ml potato starch solution. From fermentation time study, 6-day incubation time was found to be enough to complete the fermentation process and optimum production of bioethanol form potato starch. Suitable concentration of potato in fermentation process was determined using five different po- tato solutions (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 30%). A highest production of bioethanol was found in 20% potato treatment. Therefore, 20% potato solution is recommended for high-scale production of bioethanol from potato starch.