Stacking Efficiency of Oryza sativa Plant Microbial Fuel Cells in Paddy Fields: Power Generation and Methane Reduction as Measures for Greener Technology

ABSTRACT With pressing global concerns, such as climate change and global warming, it is essential to advance research on renewable energy sources and cleaner agricultural strategies. Plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) are bioelectrical systems that utilize root exudates from plants and metabolic activities of microorganisms in the rhizosphere, driven by photosynthetic processes, to generate bioelectricity and mitigate methane emissions in rice paddies. This study investigated the effects of 18 3D‐printed conductive polylactic acid PMFC cells, connected through copper wires in both individual and stacked configurations, on PMFC power density and assessed methane mitigation when integrating PMFCs into growing Oryza sativa, using literature results for scenario‐based analyses. Through cumulative stacking, the third stacking configuration generated a higher power density than the other configurations, maximizing the power generated at 26 µW/m 2 . Despite the minimal electricity generation, integrating PMFCs in paddies through scenario‐based analyses will yield simulated methane reductions of 0.012 and 0.016 kg, considering 38% and 50% methane reduction studies, for 1 m 2 of land used for rice cultivation. This study emphasizes that PMFCs have the potential to be a global warming solution, especially given that rice cultivation is one of the country's key sectors.