Autor(es): Rodrigues, A. C. ; Dias, Gabriela ; Peixoto, Virgílio ; Martins, Gilberto ; Peixoto, L.
Data: 2025
Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/97738
Origem: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Assunto(s): Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells; Green Infrastructures
Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells (PMFCs) emerge as an innovative solution in the realm of renewable energy, with the potential to address global challenges associated with energy transition and decarbonization of the energy sector. This technology relies on the generation of electricity from the symbiotic interaction between plants and soil microorganisms, harnessing the surplus of organic compounds released by plants during photosynthesis. Despite its potential, the large-scale implementation of PMFCs faces significant scientific, technological, and social challenges (Lepikash et al., 2024). From a scientific perspective, one of the primary challenges is understanding and optimizing the interactions between plants, microorganisms, and system electrodes. The bioelectrochemical processes involved remain partially understood, particularly regarding the efficiency of electron transfer. Selecting plants that produce high amounts of root exudates and identifying microbial communities highly efficient in degrading these compounds are key areas of research. Additionally, ensuring system stability under variable environmental conditions is a major hurdle, requiring long-term studies on factors such as seasonality, temperature, and moisture content. The scalability of PMFCs represents another significant challenge. Current energy efficiency levels are relatively low, limiting the commercial viability of the technology. Improvements are needed in the design of electrode materials, which must be highly conductive, durable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable. Moreover, system design must be optimized to maximize electron capture and minimize energy losses. Another critical issue is the integration of these technologies into existing energy systems, requiring solutions that enable coexistence with other renewable sources such as solar and wind power. From a social standpoint, overcoming the lack of awareness about the potential of PMFCs as a clean energy source is essential. Education and awareness campaigns can play a crucial role in promoting this technology. Additionally, pilot projects in rural communities can demonstrate the feasibility of PMFCs, particularly in regions lacking reliable access to electricity. To ensure social acceptance, ethical concerns related to land use for system deployment must be addressed, as well as potential impacts on local ecosystems. Advances in scientific research, technological innovations, and social engagement are crucial to transforming PMFC technology into a viable and widely adopted solution, paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future. Aware of the strategic role of Green Infrastructures for urban resilience and global sustainability, we developed and implemented project SEIVA - Energy Systems and Green Infrastructures for Agriculture, with the financial support of the Environmental Fund from the Portuguese Ministry of Environment and Climate Action. This project made it possible to install a demonstration unit of a green wall for practicing vertical farming integrated with PMFC energy systems, which has been encouraging and supporting the development of educational activities based on the Project Based Learning (PBL) methodology and the STEAM (acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) approach (Rodrigues et al., 2022). The project has included other awareness-raising, training and technical capacity-building actions, with the aim of promoting sustainable production and consumption models based on technological solutions inspired by nature, such as green infrastructures and plant-microbial fuel cells for bioelectricity production. Several experimental assays have been carried out to assess and optimise electricity production with different plants in PMFC systems, integrating citizen science initiatives.
