Bioenergy from forest and wood residues

Abstract

Recently, the development of biofuels from renewable sources and the use of friendly environmental technologies have received a great deal of worldwide interest. Thus, many changes in the energy production model and management are necessary. The use of forest residues as raw material for bioenergy generation is an interesting option since the biofuels obtained are less polluting than fossil fuels. In addition, while heat and electricity can be obtained by other renewable alternatives (wind, solar and hydro), the production of liquid fuels and chemicals requires biomass transformation. The selection of the conversion process depends on the type, property and biomass stock, the desired form of the bioenergy, environmental standards and economic conditions. The aim of this work is to describe the different processes through which energy can be obtained, as well as the potential use of forest residues as raw material to produce the different types of bioenergy and, to describe the different biofuels that can be obtained by these processes. In addition, we analyze current challenges and unsolved problems in bioenergy production such as waste collection, scale-up and techno-economic feasibility.