Environmental Assessment of Biorefineries

Abstract

The development of the biorefinery concept is based on the techno-economic feasibility of the proposed process considering raw materials, process options, mass and energy integration, market constraints, etc. Nevertheless, along with all these considerations, the environmental assessment must be taken into account at the same time, and concepts like sustainability, land uses, environmental impacts, and other related issues must be included in the biorefinery design since the first moment. This work summarizes the main methodologies and aspects concerning the environmental assessment of biorefineries. Different case studies covering a wide range of raw materials and products are also presented.