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Because of concerns about global climate change, possible global oil depletion, and because of potential benefits for both urban air pollution and rural employment and industry, many countries both in and out of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are promoting liquid biofuels as a replacement for oil-based transport fuels, and global output is rising steadily. In fact, bioenergy use in general is promoted, and is expected to play a major role in climate change mitigation. But bioenergy use in general faces competition for resources such as land, water and fertiliser from the two other general biomass uses, food production and biomaterials. Ethically, food production should take precedence over the other two uses (and at present all bioliquids are made from foodstuffs), and using biomass for biomaterials will in many situations reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than using the same amount of biomass for energy. Where a given amount of biomass is available for transport energy use, it will usually produce more greenhouse gas reductions per vehicle-km if used to produce electricity rather than liquid biofuels. Finally, there is signs that internal combustion engine vehicles could be phased out in the coming decades. If so, liquid biofuels will be phased out along with existing oil-based transport fuels. In conclusion, except for specialist uses, liquid biofuels do not appear to have a long-term future.

The direct utilization of first-generation (coal, woody materials) fossil fuel resources as well as the rapid fluctuations in crude oil prices will lead to the consciousness of environmental problems, so the scientists as well as many researchers focused on the necessity of the liquid biofuels (bioethanol or biobutanol) from various feedstocks. One approach, in this way, some researchers identified, is the generation of clean renewable biofuels or bio-oils or bioliquids from different types of solid lignocellulosic biomass materials, such as forest wood, agricultural, and municipal solid wastes, because they have high potential as well as are valuable substitutes for achieving the conventional (gasoline) fuel security. Generally, the structural framework of any lignocellulosic biomass material comprises 30%–50% cellulose, 15%–35% hemicellulose, and 10%–20% lignin. Initially, the solid biomass materials are crumpled down into small ingredients and followed by hydrolysis to produce simple fermentable reducing sugar moieties, which upon fermentation form biofuels (bioethanol and biobutanol). The obtained biobutanol shows tremendously superior fuel properties as compared to bioethanol. Furthermore, the utilization of biodiesel or bioethanol needs some significant modifications in automobile engine parts, but the use of biobutanol does not require any such modifications in engines, because biobutanol shows superior unique fuel properties as well as is easily blended in any ratio with petrol- or petroleum-based gasoline. The major obstacle for the production of biobutanol from lignocellulosic biomass materials is the efficient pretreatments of biomass followed by enzymatic hydrolysis processes. In this regard an outlook on the major conversion technologies for producing biobutanol from various lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by focusing on their typical performances has been established along with their applications. The effective pretreatment processes for enhancing the relevant techniques, the genetically engineered and modified acetone, butanol, and ethanol fermentation processes are also evaluated. The different routes, say chemical and microbial fermentation for the production of biobutanol, are generally discussed.

The development of renewable energy sources (RES) is considered to be a key instrument in addressing climate change. However, different RES have different potential and economic feasibility depending on country-specific conditions and mitigation ambitions. Understanding the relative importance of each RES could help policymakers focus their efforts on the most promising options. In this paper, we focus on Ukraine and explore the potential of biomass use under two mitigation scenarios – with 68% and 83% of greenhouse gas emissions reduction in 2050 relative to the 2010 level. First, using the TIMES-Ukraine energy system model, we show that biomass would play a major role in the future climate mitigation. If constrained at the baseline scenario level (due to political or other reasons), mitigation costs would be substantially higher – by 14.0–19.6 B € or 10.8–14.3 €/tCO2-eq., over the 2020–2050 time frame. Second, we quantify the importance of each biomass source. We show that woody biomass and bioliquids are the most important biofuels under the high-ambition climate scenario, while biowaste and bioliquids play a key role in the lower ambition pathway. Finally, we analyse the current policy environment in the context of future biomass development and conclude with a set of policy recommendations toward the realization of the biomass potential in Ukraine. We believe that findings presented in the paper would be relevant not only for supporting the decision-making process in Ukraine, but could also provide useful insights for other countries with similar conditions.

Increased public concerns and stricter regulatory frameworks promote the role of bioliquids (liquid fuel for energy purposes other than for transport, including electricity and heating and cooling, produced from biomass). This is a driving force for development and employment of micro-gas turbines (MGTs) due to their ability to combust bioliquids with less favorable properties in a decentralized manner. Gas turbines are characterized by relatively high combustion efficiency at relatively low concentrations of harmful emissions, relatively high effective efficiency and durability when utilizing a common portfolio of gas turbine approved fuels. It is thus desired to preserve these advantages of gas turbines also while burning bioliquids and further relying on their scalability that is crucial to efficient support of decentralized energy production at small scales. To support these objectives, MGT technology needs to allow for utilization of bioliquids with much wider spectrum of physical and chemical properties compared to common commercially available MGTs in a single MGT-based plant. In this view, the present study is providing the first thorough overview of challenges and solutions encountered by researchers across the wide area of bioliquids in MGTs.

The promotion of biofuels in the EU aims at the substitution of fossil fuels and the reduction of carbon emissions. Therefore, the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC obliges EU Member States to make sure that until 2020 in transport at least 10% of the final energy consumption is derived from renewable sources or that at least a 6% greenhouse gas emission reduction is achieved. In order to safeguard that the production of biomass does not result in negative impacts on greenhouse gas stocks or on biodiversity, the promotion of biofuels and bioliquids is accompanied by sustainability requirements.

In this study, the evaporation temperature behaviors of various liquids in silica and activated carbon pores were investigated, and applicability of bioliquid in coal pores was reported. In countries around the world, to reduce the potential carbon dioxide, solid phase biomasses, such as wood chips and pellets, have been mixed with coal to make fuel for coal-fired power plants. However, the liquid phase biomass (bioliquid) has a phase different from coal in atmospheric conditions and evaporates at a relatively low temperature. As a result, it has been difficult to use biomass in the existing coal-fired power plants due to a number of problems, such as fuel injection, the reduction of combustion efficiency in coal, spontaneous combustion, and the risk of explosion during drying. To address these challenges, evaporation behaviors of bioliquids were evaluated using silica and activated carbon that have various pores and surface characteristics. The impregnation of bioliquids was accelerated on a support that had the same hydrophilic or hydrophobic characteristics, and the evaporation temperature increased at the hydrophilic surfaces or in small pores. In addition, evaporation behaviors were assessed by filling bioliquids into coal pores that originated from ash and fixed carbon. These results increase understanding of coal pore characteristics and will enable better choices of bioliquids that can be used together with coal in the existing coal-fired power plants.

A reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as an increase in the share of renewable energy are the main objectives of EU energy policy. In Poland, biofuels play an important role in the structure of obtaining energy from renewable sources. In the case of biofuels obtained from agricultural raw materials, one of the significant components of emissions generated in their full life cycle is emissions from the cultivation stage. The aim of the study is to estimate and recognize the structure of GHG emission from biomass production in selected farms in Poland. For this purpose, the methodology that was recommended by the Polish certification system of sustainable biofuels and bioliquids production, as approved by the European Commission, was used. The calculated emission values vary between 41.5 kg CO2eq/t and 147.2 kg CO2eq/t dry matter. The highest average emissions were obtained for wheat (103.6 kg CO2eq/t), followed by maize (100.5 kg CO2eq/t), triticale (95.4 kg CO2eq/t), and rye (72.5 kg CO2eq/t). The greatest impact on the total GHG emissions from biomass production is caused by field emissions of nitrous oxide and emissions from the production and transport of fertilizers and agrochemicals. Emissions that were generated at the stage of production, storage, and transport of seeds and during the use of fuels in agricultural and forestry machinery have a significantly smaller share in the total GHG emissions from biomass production.

In an effort to reduce fossil fuel consumption, the use of woody biomass for heat and power generation is growing. Key destination markets will be countries within the European Union, particularly the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium. While demand from Asia (particularly South Korea and Japan) will also increase, it will continue to play a secondary role. Across the EU, adoption of sustainability criteria for forest biomass based on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) 2009/28/EC or similar criteria is likely. In the United Kingdom, the largest market for traded wood pellets, such criteria have already been proposed. As of 2015, only forest biomass that achieves at least a 60% reduction in GHG emissions, relative to the EU fossil fuel electricity average, can be used for bioenergy production and proof of SFM is required. In the Netherlands, the energy industry and non-governmental organisations achieved principal agreement on sustainability criteria for solid biomass, but issues of compliance testing and monitoring must still be addressed. In Flemish Belgium, the sustainability requirements for bioliquids may soon be applied to woody biomass. In Denmark, a voluntary industry agreement is set to ensure that all bioenergy production by 2019 is conducted sustainably. At present, internationally traded wood pellets from temperate and boreal biomes originate primarily from the United States, Canada and Russia. Among these, Canada offers large stretches of SFM-certified forests, but the US Southeast has seen the strongest increase in wood pellet production and export in recent years. The expansion of pellet production in the Southeast United States is mainly linked to available forest inventory (pulpwood in particular) and the competitive advantage gained by the relative proximity to demand markets in the EU. In addition to the mobilisation barriers observed in supply chains at the local and national scale, limitations in the supply of forest biomass for international trade will be influenced by regulatory measures that could restrict the trade of specific feedstock fractions.

Some recent accidents involving the bioenergy production and feedstock supply chain raised concern on the safety of such technologies. A survey of major accidents related to the production of bioenergy (intended as biomass, bioliquids/biofuels and biogas) was carried out, and a data repository was built, based on past accident reports available in the open literature and in specific databases. Data analysis shows that major accidents are increasing in recent years and their number is growing faster than bioenergy production. The results obtained represent an early warning concerning the major accident hazard of bioenergies, and suggest the importance of risk awareness and safety culture in bioenergy production, in the perspective of a safe and sustainable exploitation of renewable resources.

The article presents the potential of Zachodniopomorskie voivodeship in the field of acquiring biomass from various sources like energetic plants, municipal wastes, wood wastes and by-products of agricultural plant and animal production. Among all biomass types, the solid biomass has the largest share both in Poland and in the voivodeship itself. When comparing the current yield of biomass in Poland and the theoretical energy potential in the region, it has been shown that Western Pomerania possesses the best chances for producing vast amounts of biogas out of agriculturally originating biomass. Unfortunately, current effects are unsatisfactory due to the fact that there are only three biogas facilities working in the voivodeship. However, through investments into appropriate infrastructure and technology Zachodniopomorskie voivodeship could become the leader in production of energy originating from biomass. / Synopsis. W artykule przedstawiono potencjał Województwa zachodniopomorskiego w zakresie pozyskania biomasy z różnych źródeł, takich jak uprawy roślin energetycznych, odpady i ścieki komunalne, odpady drzewne oraz produkty uboczne upraw roślin oraz hodowli zwierząt w rolnictwie. Spośród wszystkich rodzajów biomasy największy udział zarówno w Polsce jaki i województwie stanowi biomasa stała. Dokonując porównania aktualnego pozyskania biomasy w Polsce z ogólnym potencjałem energetycznym regionu wykazano, iż Pomorze Zachodnie ma największe szanse na wytwarzanie znacznych ilości biogazu z biomasy pochodzenia rolniczego. Obecne efekty trudno uznać za zadawalające, ponieważ dotychczas w województwie działają 3 biogazownie rolnicze, jednak inwestując w odpowiednią infrastrukturę oraz technologię województwo zachodniopomorskie może stać się liderem w produkcji energii pochodzącej z biogazu.