Lignocellulosic biorefineries: Concepts and possibilities

Abstract

To date, research, development, and commercialization within the bioenergy industry has focused on the production of biofuels, with any unconverted biomass used for production of electricity, biogas, animal feed, or fertilizer. However, both the economics and the environmental impacts of biofuel production could be improved by developing processes to obtain a wider range of chemicals (with higher value) from biomass. Example products range from commodity chemicals such as dicarboxylic acids to nutraceuticals. In this article, the concept of a biorefinery will be explored, especially in comparison to a petroleum refinery. Various products and options to produce non-fuel chemicals from plants biomass are outlined. Such processes would lead to a more diverse and sustainable biorefinery.