Lignocellulosic biomass is an alternative source of energy that can reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and limit greenhouse gas emissions. Several techno-economic analyses have consistently shown that all the steps in biomass-to-bioproduct processes needs improvement. Simultaneous assessment of genotypes for multiple productivity characteristics and integrating information across production stages

The sustainability of the biodiesel production process is a controversial issue in terms of the production cost and promotion of a clean and safe energy process without adverse effects on the environment. Hence, the need to achieve energy sustainability is paramount due to the environmental benefits of biodiesel. In this study, a new approach was reported for biodiesel production from a cheap and readily

In comparison to planktonic cells, microbial biofilm immobilization is known to enhance ethanol production. To maintain this capability during long-term fermentation, the detachment of the biofilm must be prevented. In this study, the enhancement of the biofilm immobilization of the yeast Meyerozyma caribbica YLP01GX on bio-based epoxy foam (EF) was performed through plasma surface modification to

A variety of protic ionic liquids (PILs) were utilized to extract lignin from black liquor (BL). The PILs and a control IL, [Emim][Ac], were evaluated to extract lignin under different conditions. The impact of temperature, time and the IL,PIL:BL were the factors evaluated for extracting lignin. [Eth][Ac] was successful in extracting 75.3 ± 3.4% of the lignin (dry-basis) from BL at 95 °C for a PIL:BL(20:1)(w:w)

Brazil is internationally recognized for the high yield of its Eucalyptus plantation forests and the use of wood as bioenergy. The expansion of Eucalyptus forests to water-limited regions in Brazil and around the world has required the selection of superior drought-adapted clones, since this is a limiting factor for the wood yield of Eucalyptus plantations. In addition to growth, the wood quality for

This paper reports a study on the catalytic conversion of selected carbohydrates (glucose, xylose, fructose) to furan aldehydes: furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in water as solvent. The catalytic system consists of relatively weaker acidic hydrogen sulfate imidazolium ILs and strong protic Brønsted acid (H2SO4). All experiments were carried out at elevated temperatures (140–160 °C) in stainless

Limits in propagation are hampering the diffusion of giant reed cultivation for biomass. The objective of this study was to compare rhizomes and micropropagated plants with stem cuttings obtained in spring vs late winter (with and without side shoots, respectively) and immediately planted. A three-years field trial was carried out, assessing how rapidly giant reed establishes, and how its yield components

Downstream electrostatic precipitators (ESP) represent the state of the art separation technology in medium and large biomass combustion plants. However, these technologies are often difficult to implement in smaller furnaces due to economic aspects and space constraints. This study deals with the integration of ESP systems into the heat exchanger of a small-scale biomass furnace. In order to accelerate

A direct absorption reactor can increase its temperature by using the internal biogas slurry to absorb and scatter the solar spectrum, where the fermentation process can be well maintained. Therefore, the optical properties of the biogas slurry have direct impact on the solar energy utilization rate of the reactor, which are the basic parameters to be used to simulate the interior photochemical conversion

Poplar short rotation coppice (SRC) plantations have great potential for supplying environmentally friendly bio-based industries. However, little research has focussed on the linkages between SRC management regimes and the consumption of water for biomass production in the Mediterranean environment. Therefore, we compared six hybrid clones and four native black poplar genotypes with an aim to examine

Bio-oils are good substitutes for petrochemical oil, but their high oxygen contents result in poor oxidation stability. Therefore, anti-oxidants are essential to improve the oxidation stability of bio-oils. In this study, quantum chemistry has been used to analyze in detail the relationship between the structure and adsorption properties of bio-oils and silanol groups. A new type of rough-surface hollow

There is a growing interest for the mixotrophic cultivation of microalgae using sustainable natural carbon sources. Chitin from shrimp waste was hydrolyzed using chitinase from Trichoderma asperellum and was exploited for the mixotrophic cultivation of microalgae. Chitin saccharification was optimized using Box-Behnken design to produce 50.41% (w/w) of reducing sugars using chitin, 0.83% (w/v), chitinase

A developed bioeconomy needs better storage methods for wood chips and forest industry by-products, since increasing demands for more assortments, more storage will be necessary Today, solutions for coping with storage-related problems, such as dry matter losses and risk of self-ignition, are based on separating assortments into smaller piles and avoiding large-scale long-term storage of chips. A safe

Nearly 33 million tons of sugarcane bagasse are produced in China every year, and a large amount of this is wasted. Pelletization is an efficient method of utilizing excess bagasse. This study uses a specially designed pelletizing device to identify how process parameters and biomass characteristics affect the densification of sugarcane bagasse. We used four-factor Box-Behnken experimental design and

Biosolids can be incorporated as a water replacement into a two-stage thermal process for biofuel production from brown greases, significantly reducing the overall environmental impact of the process. Unfortunately, the use of biosolids resulted in an appreciable amount of sulphur in the pyrolytic oils produced in the final stage of the process. Here, we first evaluated the relationship between the

The conversion of technical lignin into valuable chemicals is important for the complete utilization of lignocellulose. The kraft process dominates the pulp industry, and large amounts of kraft lignin are produced worldwide. However, the complexity of lignin limits its valorization. In this study, a kraft lignin, Indulin AT, was depolymerized under base conditions, and the effects of substrate loading

Poplar is recognized as an excellent biorefinery feedstock because of year-round availability and ease of fractionation. Further, poplar is commonly used to provide ecosystem services such as for riparian buffers or phytoremediation. While biofuels offer many environmental and socioeconomic benefits, commercial scale biorefineries are not prominent in the U.S. in part because of feedstock availability

Aim of the current paper is the monitoring of feedstock losses during a five-month storage period of olive tree pruning (OTP) hog fuel, by comparing two storage solutions: i) uncovered, open-air storage and ii) fleece-covered open-air storage. For this task, two identical conical piles of harvested prunings were built and monitored for calculating the changes in dry matter and energy value of the stored

Traditional logistics of residue removal is expensive and energy demanding, such as the procedures adopted for removing remaining stumps on forest biomass production. When considered as a biomass source, stumps can contribute to minimizing problems related to the restriction of the use of the area in terms of the use of the machines and operational quality, bringing economic and energy benefits or

Carbonized wood quality varies, being influenced by their physical and combustion properties, which determine their suitability as biofuels. The physico-combustion properties of charcoals from six defect-free, regularly-used tropical timbers for carbonization (i.e., Anogeissus leiocarpa, Erythrophleum ivorense, Ficus sur, Berlinia occidentalis, Azadirachta indica and Vitellaria paradoxa) from Donkorkrom

To provide an elaborate understanding on the performance of Entererococcus sp. L1 in biogas production at different fermentation periods under controlled low temperature, biogas optimization experiments was undertaken. Specifically, microscopic and culture techniques, physiological and biochemical studies, and measurement of optical densities at 600 wavelengths (OD600) were undertaken to identify and

The aim of this study was to physically, chemically and energetically characterize A. angustifolia branches of different dimensions and to compare them with the values described in literature. Thus, a total of 30 branches from 15 adult native trees were divided into three treatments according to the following base diameters: (S) less than 0.06 m, (M) between 0.06 and 0.10 m; and (L) greater than 0

The goal of this study was to examine the conversion of lignin-rich residues from (hard)wood cellulosic sugar production into films without adding binders. Enzymatic hydrolysis was conducted on alkaline pretreated aspen wood to attain saccharification (liberation of monomeric sugars). Non-converted lignin-rich residues in the solid waste stream were fibrillated and formed into films with the aid of

Forest biomass plays a critical role in developing countries, with high potential to contribute to the energy needs as a cheaper and carbon-friendly alternative. In Brazil, eucalyptus plantations have gained attention in recent years as a promising source for the power sector. Aiming to assess this potential, this work analyzed the techno-economic feasibility of a eucalyptus woodchip-based power plant

The preparation of biomass-derived porous carbon having a high specific surface area for high-performance supercapacitors has been recognised as an important research topic in the past decade. In this study, chestnut-pulp-derived porous carbon is prepared by employing a two-step process involving carbonisation and KOH chemical activation for the first time. The synthesized hierarchical porous carbon

The species-specific potentiality of mangroves in terms of ecosystem services is not well understood. Therefore, this study addressed the carbon sequestration and litterfall production potentiality of six major species in Sundarbans, Bangladesh, by evaluating three consecutive years of inventory data, including the stand variables and weather events impacts on them. The total mean aboveground, belowground

Corncob is one of the most abundant agro-industrial wastes globally. It represents a bioenergy feedstock of 1500–5500 million tons per year. The shape and size of the corncob are suitable for gasification without pretreatment (size reduction, densification, or drying) in a downdraft gasifier. However, its volatile content (about 80% DAF) can generate high tar content, representing a challenge to adopt

The shift from a fossil economy to a biological economy will stimulate the demand for bio-based energy generation. One promising strategy to meet the growing demand for biomass for energy production is to re-cultivate abandoned arable land. The digestate fertilisation approach for the sake of increased biomass yields is the key strategy towards more sustainable biogas generation in many regions. To

Fusel oil, a by-product of bioethanol production, can be considered as a low-value and renewable material for transforming into value-added products. In this work, the catalytic cracking of fusel oil was studied in a fixed bed reactor to produce light olefins. The operating parameters, such as the temperature, feed flow rate of fusel oil, feedstock, and the co-feeding water, were investigated over

The depletion of fossil fuels as well as the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use have led to growing interest in biofuel production from biomass. A new technology, thermo-catalytic reforming (TCR), is one of the contributing interests. TCR technology integrates intermediate pyrolysis with a post-reforming stage to convert biomass into a high-quality bio-oil, biochar, and syngas. In this study

Coffee is an essential agricultural product and offers the spent coffee grounds (SCG) after brewing. In order to intensify the utilisation of this by-product, various approaches have been investigated into. The mechanical refinement of the SCG by briquetting plays an important role for further upgrading processes. In this work, the briquetting of dried SCG was investigated with and without pre-treatment

Maritime transport facilitates trade with bioenergy feedstocks in the Baltic region. The study aims to provide guidance on efficient organisation of logistics at the port of loading for maritime transport of wood chips. The economic effects of using an intermediate terminal as opposed to direct delivery to port were studied, as well as the relationships between production capacity and storage capacity

This work aims at comparing different preparation chains to produce wood powders suitable for further gasification in an entrained flow reactor. Three wood powders, with particle size below 1 mm, have been produced at pilot scale from resinous wood chips: a powder of raw wood and a powder of torrefied wood both ground in a knife mill, and a powder of raw wood ground in a vibration mill. The respective

In order to reduce air and soil pollution caused by open-field burning of stover and improve energy utilization efficiency in rural areas, Chinese government has provided many incentives for bio-energy utilization. But the amount of subsidy was not pegged to the actual environmental benefits of different energy utilization ways of agricultural waste. In this study, processed based life cycle assessment

Producing clean energy from waste biomass via pyrolysis is critical in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and alleviating their environmental impacts. Inherent potassium in low energy density coconut fibers reduces bio-oil yield and compromises bio-oil quality and the integrity of reactors within which pyrolysis occurs. The effect of consecutive hydrothermal treatment (180°C-220 °C) and water washing

The production of biodiesel from waste activated sludge by the in-situ transesterification of its lipid content is studied in this work, comparing both basic and acidic catalytic routes. The acid mechanism is chosen as the optimum one, considering that the high percentage of free fatty acids strongly limits the yields obtained by the basic route, due to the saponification competence. Different pre-treatments

Two-stage anaerobic digestion (TSAD) is a promising strategy for process-specific operation of the distinctive stages of anaerobic digestion to ultimately enhance the process yield and stability. TSAD aids in reducing the inhibitory effects of acidogenesis on methanogenesis and maintains the harmony of the overall process. TSAD of rice wastewater is examined in the present study. Single-stage mono

Conversion of bio-waste into activated carbon is an environmentally friendly approach that reduces the pressure on biowaste disposal. Here we describe the preparation of activated carbon from the biowaste of the lemon peel by carbonization at 400 °C followed by chemical activation employing KOH. The activation parameters like temperature and mass ratio of precursor and KOH are optimized to obtain carbon