In storage biomass stabilization, material conditioning, quality management, and value-add

Abstract

Storage is a key unit operation in bioenergy feedstock logistics supply chains. Long-term storage is utilized to hold agricultural crops harvested once annually and supply a biorefinery with consistent supply. Short-term storage on the timeframe of weeks is utilized for materials harvested year-round, such as woody materials and municipal waste. A 1- to 2-week queuing at the biorefinery gate is typically used to ensure consistent operation. A central theme of all these storage types is the need for stabilizing material to prevent uncontrolled degradation and loss of carbon. Additionally, managing the quality of biomass and waste is critical to downstream operations. Quality impacts can be realized as biological changes, chemical changes, or physical changes, all of which can impact downstream operations including size reduction, pretreatment, and conversion to bio-based fuels or products. The utilization of storage is to facilitate material conditioning, whether it be to depolymerize the recalcitrant lignocellulosic matrix, to change the moisture state to facilitate downstream processing, or to encourage microbial production of useful and extractable compounds downstream. By understanding the biological, chemical, and physical changes that can occur during storage and queuing operations, it will be possible to realize how storage systems can not only preserve the carbon in biomass but also how they can add value through material conditioning, recalcitrance reduction, or opportunities for value-added co-product formation.