Bioelectrochemical systems and their readiness for commercialisation

Abstract

Conventional techniques for treating wastewater consume significant amounts of energy and depending on effectiveness, may result in secondary contamination. In this regard, the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has shown much promise as a revolutionary wastewater treatment + energy generation hybrid. This is due to the unique ability of electroactive organisms to generate direct electricity, recovering electrons from the breakdown and consumption of organic compounds in wastewater. This article critically assesses the current development of MFC technology, particularly in the last two years, focussing on the technology's economic and environmental feasibility. Even though there is a significant body of literature on MFCs with continuously increasing performance levels, the technology has not yet got fully commercialised to form part of urban planning or energy policy; this implies a lack of government consideration as a result of the absence of industrial scale research. The article presents the case for MFCs from a technology readiness level and life cycle assessment perspectives and explains why it is still premature to draw conclusions based on these two metrics.