Methane as a Substrate for Energy Generation Using Microbial Fuel Cells

Methane (CH4) is a well-known and abundant feedstock for natural gas, and is readily available from various sources. In thermal plants, the CH4 generated from anthropogenic sources is converted into electrical energy via combustion. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has proven to be an efficient strategy for the biological conversion of a many substrates, including biogas (CH4), to electricity. MFC technology uses gaseous substrate along with an enriched and selective microbial consortium. Predominantly, methanotrophs and electrochemically active Geobacter were utilized in a syntrophic association on the anode of an MFC. This review focuses on the exploitation of CH4 as a substrate for bioelectrogenesis via MFCs.