Evaluating the Potential of Sedge Grass (S. tabernaemontani) for Bioethanol Production

Freweyni Hailu; Legesse Adane; Zerihun Demrew Yigezu; Tesfakiros Semere

doi:10.56476/jed.v50i1.74

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Published: Dec 13, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56476/jed.v50i1.74

Keywords:

Bioethanol production, Lignocellulosic biomass, Renewable energy feedstock, Sustainable biofuels, Ethanol fermentation, Acid hydrolysis, Reducing sugar yield, Cellulose and hemicellulose composition, Non-food energy crops, Biomass-to-energy conversion, Sedge grass, Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Fusarium oxysporum, Fermentation kinetics, Clean energy alternatives, Biomass pretreatment

Freweyni Hailu

Department of Biotechnology at the College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, Ethiopia

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3780-9135

Legesse Adane

Professor of Organic Chemistry at Hawassa University, Ethiopia

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5153-6946

Zerihun Demrew Yigezu

Associate Professor of Bioenergy and Biotechnology at Hawassa University, Ethiopia

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1396-4717

Tesfakiros Semere

Associate Professor of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology at Mekelle University, Ethiopia

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5933-3991

Abstract

Sedge grass (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani), a non-edible and environmentally sustainable lignocellulosic biomass, has not previously been reported as a feedstock for bioethanol production. This study evaluated its potential by examining reducing sugar and ethanol yields under varying hydrolysis conditions. A Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was employed with three levels of hydrolysis time (40, 60, 80 min), sulfuric acid concentration (1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5%), and temperature (115°C, 125°C, 135°C). All experiments were conducted in triplicate. Biomass composition (extractives, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) was determined using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) protocol, while reducing sugars were quantified via Benedict’s method and spectrophotometry. Ethanol yield was estimated by the potassium dichromate method. Results indicated that sedge grass contained 42% hemicellulose, 39.87% cellulose, 13.07% lignin, and 5.06% extractives. Significant two-way interactions were observed among treatments, while the highest reducing sugar yield was obtained at 125°C, 60 min, and 2.5% H₂SO₄. The lowest yield (38.29%) occurred at 135°C, 80 min, and 3.5% H₂SO₄. Fermentation with Fusarium oxysporum for seven days produced a maximum ethanol yield of 51.02% from 49.83% hydrolyzed reducing sugars. These findings suggest that sedge grass is a promising lignocellulosic feedstock for sustainable bioethanol production.

How to Cite

Hailu, Freweyni, Legesse Adane, Zerihun Demrew Yigezu, and Tesfakiros Semere. 2025. “Evaluating the Potential of Sedge Grass (S. Tabernaemontani) for Bioethanol Production”. Journal of Energy and Development 50 (1):77–99. https://doi.org/10.56476/jed.v50i1.74.

Issue

Vol. 50 No. 1 (2025): The Journal of Energy and Development

Section

Articles

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Freweyni Hailu, Department of Biotechnology at the College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, Ethiopia

Freweyni Hailu Asfaha is a Lecturer in the Department of Biotechnology at the College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, Ethiopia. She earned her B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Mekelle University in 2017 and subsequently served as a Graduate Assistant from July 2017 to June 2018. She completed her M.Sc. in Bioenergy Science and Technology at Hawassa University in November 2021. Her research interests focus on bioenergy and environmental pollution control. The author is thankful to the NORAD EnPe project, Hawassa University, for financial support and also to Mekelle University for giving her the opportunity to attend the Master’s program at Hawassa University.

Legesse Adane, Professor of Organic Chemistry at Hawassa University, Ethiopia

Legesse Adane holds a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Punjab, India, and an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. His research interests include natural product chemistry—particularly medicinal plants—computer-aided drug design and discovery, organic synthesis, environmental pollution control, and bioenergy-related studies. He has supervised more than 100 M.Sc. students at Jimma University and Hawassa University, as well as three Ph.D. candidates, and has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed international journals. He is currently a Professor of Organic Chemistry at Hawassa University, Ethiopia.

Zerihun Demrew Yigezu, Associate Professor of Bioenergy and Biotechnology at Hawassa University, Ethiopia

Zerihun Demrew Yigezu, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Bioenergy and Biotechnology at Hawassa University, Ethiopia. He earned his Ph.D. in Bioenergy Science from the Department of Biochemical Engineering at Anna University, Chennai, India, in 2015, and his M.Sc. in Biotechnology and Molecular Biology from Haryana Agricultural University, India, in 2008. Dr. Yigezu's research focuses on bioenergy resources and biomass conversion technologies. He has supervised over 32 M.Sc. and 5 Ph.D. students and has published more than 26 articles in internationally reputable peer-reviewed journals.

Tesfakiros Semere, Associate Professor of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology at Mekelle University, Ethiopia

Tesfakiros Semere is an Associate Professor of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology at Mekelle University, Ethiopia, where he also serves as Head of College Research and Community at the College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems from Mekelle University in 2024 and holds an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium. His research interests include molecular plant breeding, genomics, agrobiodiversity, seed systems, and bioenergy. Dr. Semere has supervised five M.Sc. students and is currently supervising five Ph.D. candidates. He has authored more than 15 peer-reviewed publications, with several additional articles currently under review.

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