Search

In order to achieve the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutralization, we must vigorously develop renewable energy. As one of the important renewable energy sources, the development and utilization of biomass energy has a high cost, and it is difficult to compete with traditional fossil energy in the early stage of development. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to escort the development of the biomass energy industry through legal means. First of all, on the basis of fully analyzing the development prospects of China's biomass energy, the article sorts out the laws and regulations related to biomass energy in China, and finds the shortcomings. Secondly, this paper draws on the institutional experience of the United States, Brazil, Sweden and other countries with relatively developed biomass energy industry, and provides suggestions for improvement from three aspects: law, policy and administrative system, with a view to supporting China's development of biomass energy industry and realizing the "dual carbon target" theoretically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century. To combat climate change the international community has agreed to keep the average temperature increase well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Despite this consideration, the latest scientific evidence suggests that the planet has already warmed by 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. The slow reaction by national governments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions has prompted cities to take ownership of climate change mitigation action and drive global intervention from the sub-national level. These urban areas are home to more than half of the world's population and have immense energy requirements, and typically rely heavily on fossil fuels to meet this demand. Therefore, a shift to city level climate governance is significant as cities are both the victims and the culprits of climate change. Should cities supplant fossil fuels with renewable energy initiatives in meeting their energy demands, this would provide a significant boost to climate change mitigation efforts. Bioenergy as a form of renewable energy can potentially contribute to the energy mix in cities through biomass exploitation while simultaneously addressing climate change mitigation efforts. This article focusses on the role of bioenergy in the energy discourse in cities and the potential of law and policy to contribute to developing these biomass-based systems. The article provides insight into the South African bioenergy regulatory framework from an energy and climate change perspective and offers an account of what bioenergy can contribute to cities when considering the transition to a low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The experimental results shown that the variant concentration of iron ions in the medium and the variant pH of the initial algal fluid did different effects on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris. The Chlorella vulgaris can thrive better in the culture fluid with iron ions raising. The initial pH of the algae fluid affects its growth mainly in 1–3 days. Meanwhile, in a weak alkaline environment, such as pH 8.27 is beneficial to the growth of Chlorella vulgaris during the initial developing period. Also we find out in a certain range of alkaline environments such as pH 8 to 9 is the more conducive to its growth. By concluding the results of the research, we can obtain the optimal chlorella aquaculture production cultivation conditions with economic benefits. The use of microalgae as raw materials to produce various new biomass energy in the aquaculture industry has become a key issue in building a friendly ecology. However, maximizing algal growth and profit by regulating iron ion concentration (Fe3+) and acid-base value (pH) remains a major challenge. Therefore, this study utilized Chlorella vulgaris to explore the influence of Fe3+ concentration and initial pH value on algal growth to obtain optimum economic benefits and chemical culture conditions. Using an air-lift columnar photobioreactor for cultivation and a fluorescent lamp as a light source, the experiments were conducted at a light intensity of 3537 Lux at approximately 24 °C. To achieve economically optimal culture conditions, the daily OD 660 value of the Chlorella vulgaris cultures was used to explore the effects of different iron ion concentrations and initial pH values on algae growth and biomass accumulation. Our results demonstrated that different iron ion concentrations and pH conditions of the algal culture rendered different effects on Chlorella vulgaris growth. Overall, the enriched iron-containing medium was more favorable for algae growth. Over time, the medium with higher iron concentration (1.0 g/L) achieved higher OD faster and its accumulated chlorophyll was higher. Moreover, the initial pH of the algae culture medium affected its growth mainly within the first three days. Particularly, a weak alkaline environment (e.g., pH 8.27) benefited Chlorella vulgaris growth during the initial growth period. With the results of this study, our research determined the optimal Chlorella production conditions that maximize economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) using Fe-Co/meso-HZSM-5 catalyst has been investigated. The impregnated iron and cobalt on HZSM-5 could be used as bifunction catalyst which combined polimerizing synthesis gas and long hydrocarbon cracking for making biofuel (saturated C5-C25 hydrocarbons as gasoline, kerosene and diesel oil). The study emphasized the effect of catalyst weight on product composition and process conversion. The HZSM-5, had been converted from ammonium ZSM-5 through calcination, and then desilicated with NaOH solution. The Co(NO3)2⋅6H2O and Fe(NO3)3⋅9H2O were used as precursor for incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) on amorphous meso-HZSM-5. The catalyst consisted of 10 % Fe and 90 % Co by weight, called 10Fe-90Co/meso-HZSM-5. All catalysts were reduced in situ in the continuous reactor with flowing hydrogen at 25 mL/min, 1 bar, 400 °C for 10 hours. The catalyst performance was observed in the same continuous fixed bed reactor at 25 mL/min synthesis gas (30 % CO, 60 % H2, 10 % N2), 250 °C, 20 bar for 96 hours. Various catalyst weight (1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 gram) were applied in FTS. The desilicated HZSM-5 properties (BET analysis) were 6.1-29.9 nm mesoporous diameter, 0.3496 cc/g average mesoporous volume, 526.035 cc/g pore surface area, and the EDX analysis gave 22.1059 Si/Al ratio and 16.11 % loading (by weight) on meso-HZSM-5. The reduced catalyst showed the XRD spectra of Fe (66°), Fe-Co alloy (44.50°) and Co3O4 (36.80°). The reaction using 1 gram of 10Fe-90Co/meso-HZSM-5 catalyst produced the largest composition and conversion. The 1 gram catalyst gave the largest normal selectivity of gasoline (19.15 %) and kerosene (55.18 %). While the largest normal diesel oil selectivity (24.17 %) was obtained from 1.4 gram of catalyst. The CO conversion per gram of catalyst showed similar value (CO conversion of 26-28 %) for all catalyst weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algae cultivation in open raceway ponds is considered the most economical method for photosynthetically producing biomass for biofuels, chemical feedstocks, and other high-value products. One of the primary challenges for open ponds is diminished biomass yields due to attack by grazers, competitors, and infectious organisms. Higher-frequency observations are needed for detection of grazer infections, which can rapidly reduce biomass levels. In this study, real-time measurements were performed using chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) to monitor the impact of grazer infections on cyanobacterial cultures. Numerous volatile gases were produced during healthy growth periods from freshwater Synechococcus elongatus Pasteur Culture Collection (PCC) 7942, with 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one serving as a unique metabolic indicator of exponential growth. Following the introduction of a Tetrahymena ciliate grazer, the concentrations of multiple volatile species were observed to change after a latent period as short as 18 h. Nitrogenous gases, including ammonia and pyrroline, were found to be reliable indicators of grazing. Detection of grazing by CIMS showed indicators of infections much sooner than traditional methods, microscopy, and continuous fluorescence, which did not detect changes until 37 to 76 h after CIMS detection. CIMS analysis of gases produced by PCC 7942 further shows a complex temporal array of biomass-dependent volatile gas production, which demonstrates the potential for using volatile gas analysis as a diagnostic for grazer infections. Overall, these results show promise for the use of continuous volatile metabolite monitoring for the detection of grazing in algal monocultures, potentially reducing current grazing-induced biomass losses, which could save hundreds of millions of dollars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Agricultural and agro-industrial residues have great potential to obtain products with high added value, such as biofuels, bioactive compounds, and biopolymers which are used in different industries such as food, cosmetics, industrial and pharmacological. They also contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution since they can be used in effluents treatment, mainly in heavy metals adsorption. Objective: To establish the potential of Ecuador agricultural residues to obtain agro-industrial products. Materials and methods: The study carried out is approached from a qualitative-documentary and descriptive method, where data on the object of study were collected through a bibliographic and documentary review on the subject, published in databases of known scientific relevance and wide scope quality and timeliness were taken into account. Results and Discussion: Various procedures and methodologies for obtaining agro-industrial products were reviewed, different types of residues were identified for each crop under study. Corresponding assessment was carried out in order to establish the potential agroindustrial products that can be obtained from them, according to their chemical composition. Conclusions: Bioactive compounds recovery and biofuels generation from agricultural and agroindustrial waste is an alternative to reduce the effects of global pollution, while generating renewable energy and high added value compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas fermentation by Clostridium autoethanogenum is a commercial process for the sustainable biomanufacturing of fuels and valuable chemicals using abundant, low-cost C1 feedstocks (CO and CO2) from sources such as inedible biomass, unsorted and nonrecyclable municipal solid waste, and industrial emissions. Efforts toward pathway engineering and elucidation of gene function in this microbe have been limited by a lack of genetic tools to control gene expression and arduous genome engineering methods. To increase the pace of progress, here we developed an inducible CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for C. autoethanogenum and applied that system toward transcriptional repression of genes with ostensibly crucial functions in metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun) is an emerging sustainable source of vegetable oil, in particular for the biofuel industry. The present study exploited genome assemblies of the Brassica diploids, Brassica nigra and Brassica oleracea, to discover over 10,000 genome-wide SNPs using genotype by sequencing of 620 B. carinata lines. The analyses revealed a SNP frequency of one every 91.7 kb, a heterozygosity level of 0.30, nucleotide diversity levels of 1.31 × 10−05, and the first five principal components captured only 13% molecular variation, indicating low levels of genetic diversity among the B. carinata collection. Genome bias was observed, with greater SNP density found on the B subgenome. The 620 lines clustered into two distinct sub-populations (SP1 and SP2) with the majority of accessions (88%) clustered in SP1 with those from Ethiopia, the presumed centre of origin. SP2 was distinguished by a collection of breeding lines, implicating targeted selection in creating population structure. Two selective sweep regions on B3 and B8 were detected, which harbour genes involved in fatty acid and aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis, respectively. The assessment of genetic diversity, population structure, and LD in the global B. carinata collection provides critical information to assist future crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of polluting waste, the increase in greenhouse gases, climate change and the growing demand for energy; prioritize the identification of energy alternatives to manage less critical territories. Therefore, this article proposes to analyze anaerobic biodigestion as a generator of bioenergy from livestock waste, based on a case study in the Province of Buenos Aires, to evaluate the transformation of a waste into a product, taking into account possibilities and obstacles in a context of energy transition, distributed generation and regulatory frameworks under construction. Data from secondary and primary sources were triangulated. Obstacles are part of the process, but this technology is an opportunity in the face of the criticality and limitations of centralized hydrocarbon-dependent systems. Preliminary results state that producing bioenergy from livestock waste: i-transforms a waste / pollution / problem into bioenergy, ii- diversifies income, iii- generates biofertilizers and iv- visualizes multifunctional rural spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that biomass energy has excellent environmental and economic benefits. The increasing international cooperation in the field of biomass energy has promoted the rapid coordinated development of global biomass energy research and industry. This article analyses academic papers in this field collected by SSCI or SCI from 2007 to 2016, uses bibliometrics for quantitative statistics and data mining, and VOSviewer software to generate international cooperation network maps. It also provides in-depth analysis and comprehensive comparison of changes in international cooperation in biomass energy research in major countries around the world, and reveals the context and direction of development in the global biomass energy field. The results of this study can provide scientific basis and support for the development of other related research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel simultaneous in-situ and ex-situ CO 2 biomethanisation demonstrated. • Biogas methane content over 95% achieved from conventional anaerobic digesters. • Volumetric methane production increased by more than 3-fold of its original value. • Upgrading biogas from multiple digesters in a single retrofitted digester. • CO 2 biomethanisation coupled AD bridges biomass and renewable energy industries. In-situ biomethanisation reduces the CO 2 in biogas to CH 4 via direct H 2 injection into an anaerobic digester, but volumetric methane production (VMP) is limited by organic loading. Ex-situ biomethanisation, where gaseous substrates are fed to pure or mixed cultures of hydrogenotrophic methanogens, offers higher VMP but requires an additional reactor and supply of essential nutrients. This work combined the two approaches in a novel hybrid application achieving simultaneous in-situ and ex-situ biomethanisation within an organically-loaded anaerobic digester receiving supplementary biogas. Conventional stirred-tank digesters were first acclimated to H 2 addition, increasing biogas methane content from 50% to 95% and VMP from 0.86 to 1.51 L L−1 day−1 at a moderate loading rate of 3 g organic chemical oxygen demand per L per day (g COD org L−1 day−1). Externally-produced biogas was then added to demonstrate simultaneous biomethanisation of endogenous and imported CO 2. This further increased VMP to 2.76 L L−1 day−1 without affecting organic substrate degradation. In-situ CO 2 reduction can alter digester pH by reducing bicarbonate buffering: the combined process operated stably at around pH 8.0 with 3–5% CO 2 in the headspace. Microbial community analysis indicated the process was mediated by bacterial syntrophic acetate oxidation and highly enriched hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea (up to 97% of the archaeal population). This approach presents the opportunity to retrofit a single digester for H 2 injection to convert and upgrade biogas from several others, minimising capital and operating costs by utilising both existing infrastructure and waste-derived feedstock nutrients for simultaneous biogas upgrading and power-to-methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy can be linked to substantial economic growth, industrialization, and social development. Pakistan is a developing country and is currently experiencing an energy deficit of 6000 MW, causing the nation to spend more than US$7 billion annually on importing oil and natural gas. Although the country depends on imports, it also has a substitute energy resource in bioenergy. Among renewable energy sources, biomass is considered the most durable and efficient source of electricity, heat, cooling, and solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. This article provides an overview of the biogas industry in Pakistan, exploring the current scenario, potential, advantages, barriers, and future projections, as well as making recommendations. Pakistan has considerable biomass energy potential, with more than 840 million tons of animal manure, 108 million tons of crop residues, and 44 million tons of municipal solid waste produced yearly. These potential sources could be tapped to generate around 28 million m3 of biogas daily, which could fulfill more than 50% of the nation's power requirement. This study could provide a solution for policymakers, strategic planners, and power generators to sustainably alleviate the country's energy crisis without any environmental impact. [Display omitted] • A comprehensive review of biomass resouces available for energy was conducted. • An analysis of the existing literature was conducted to determine the potential for biomass. • Useful recommendations are also made for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper presents economic viability study of decentralized biomass power plant using agricultural residue by computing the cost associated with capital investment for biomass power plant, operating and maintenance cost of plant, processing cost of residue used as fuel, equivalent economic value of embodied nutrients (NPK) lost from the residue and comparing these costs with the income generated from the power generation. The objective is to determine cost effectiveness of adding chemical fertilizers for soil nutrient replenishment and utilizing agricultural residue for biomass energy (instead of soil incorporation). The discounted rate method is used to study the economic viability. Results show that cotton stalk and groundnut shell residue (with higher nitrogen content) are not cost effective for electricity production. Further, rice and wheat residue are observed to be cost effective for biomass power plant. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Economic viability assessment of biomass power plant vis-a-vis soil incorporation. • Discounted rate method used for studying economic viability. • Cotton and groundnut residue are not cost effective for power production. • Rice, wheat and maize (marginally) residue are cost effective for power production. • Return of investment for gasification plant using rice straw residue is 7 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biofuels are fundamental for meeting societal energy needs within the next few decades, but the sustainability of large-scale land use conversions to supply feedstock crops remains unclear. Quantitative data documenting how biofuel crop expansion will affect ecosystem services (ES) is needed to develop sustainable energy policies. Using pairwise comparisons of published and novel environmental, social and economic indicators, we quantitatively assessed the provision of critical ES related to key aspects of the sustainability of pasture-to-sugarcane transitions in Brazil. We found that with the exception of maintaining biodiversity, conversion of pasturelands to sugarcane fields enhanced many ES. Based on the Sustainability index, aimed to capture changes on key sustainability aspects by considering multiple ES and properly integrating them, we concluded that pasture to sugarcane transitions would increase the sustainability by 78% in south-central Brazil. Our results provide science-based empirical evidence that the expansion of sugarcane into degraded pasturelands is a suitable strategy to enhance Brazil's biomass feedstock supplies for producing bioenergy. Moreover, facing the complex and multidimensional concept of sustainability, our study also illustrates the importance of considering holistically land use change effects rather than individual ESs when establishing sustainable land management practices and bioenergy policies. Graphical abstract Except for Maintenance of biodiversity, the expansion of sugarcane over pasturelands improve many ecosystem services in areas of biofuels expansion. As result, this LUC would increase the sustainability by 78% in south-central Brazil. SOC: soil organic C. FRT: Soil fertility index. H?: Shannon?s diversity index. CYC: C cycling index. STR: Soil structural quality index. SEC: Socioeconomic index. fx1 Highlights • In Brazil, most of the recent sugarcane expansion has been placed over extensive pastures. • Pasture (PA) to sugarcane (SG) transitions affects key ecosystem services (ES). • Except for Maintenance of biodiversity, this land use change improve the ESs evaluated. • As result, PA-SG transitions would increase the sustainability by 78% in south-central Brazil. • Our index provides a sensitive and science-based approach for sustainability assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Microalgae is an alternative feedstock for biofuel production and has been considered to be a potential biotechnology. However, the systems for industrial biofuel production from microalgae are still costly and unsuitable. In addition, the complex and changeable processes contained in different bioenergy conversion systems make it difficult to reasonably compare these systems. This study aim to obtain an optimal microalgae-based industrial system using life-cycle assessment, and to unify the uncertainties caused by the discrepancies of each process. Two types of bioenergy conversion systems were modelled and compared: (1) transesterification, hydrothermal liquefaction, and pyrolysis for renewable diesel production and (2) anaerobic digestion without/with hydrothermal pretreatment for biogas production. The life-cycle impacts of these systems were quantified in terms of net energy ratios (NERs) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The results show that anaerobic digestion system with hydrothermal pretreatment is more industrially feasible and eco-friendly at the industrial scale due to its low NER (0.71) and GHG emissions [−60.84 g CO 2−eq (MJ biogas)−1]. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A life-cycle assessment of biofuel production from microalgae was performed. • Five different bioenergy conversion systems were compared in terms of NER and GWP. • The AD system with pretreatment achieved the optimal overall net energy income. • Sensitivity analysis of processes in the conversion systems were conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To mitigate the effects of global warming, the European Union must reduce its dependence on foreign fossil fuels to produce energy. Biomass from forests and agroforestry residues are a readily available source of domestic renewable energy. However, further technological developments must be made in order to foster its use in machines and thermal engines. The present study analyses the current situation of biomass energy in Spain as well as its future prospects, potential challenges and opportunities moving forward. This analysis is performed through a review based on bioenergy resources, technology and management to provide recommendations and carry out a more comprehensive energy assessment. Non-food biomass resources are intended to be useful in the development of bioenergy industrial sector. This study is applied to Spain due to its remarkable forests and wealth of agricultural areas. The methodology is based on three phases of energy conversion: resources, technology and management. The main achievements are pathways definition from resource to bioenergy application in Spain. Bioenergy advances offer management drive forces to meeting the energy and environmental challenges in the European Union. Highlights • Biofuels could profitably replace conventional fuels by bioeconomy. • New energy conversion strategies can further develop the bioenergy sector. • European countries must pay attention to technical solutions for energy production. • Circular biomass conversion has great potential available in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The issue of sustainability assessment of biodiesel production has increasingly gained importance due to the interest of governments in drawing up sovereignty strategies, to diversify their energy matrix and to determine the impact of biofuels production. In this context, this work proposes a system dynamics model to assess biodiesel production in a specific context. A System Dynamics model was developed and applied to assess the sustainability of the conditions in the baseline scenario of biodiesel production in Colombia. Simulation of current biodiesel production showed that a strong support from government policies is required related to the promotion of an increase of the contents of biodiesel in the biodiesel-diesel blend, as well as of the production capacity. Certain dynamics were observed as a result of the modeling, the increase oil palm cultivation, can be related to a lesser rate of displacement of the population, of poverty and of emissions of pollutants affecting air quality (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter). Results also predicted that the increase in oil palm cultivation under baseline scenario could boost inequitable distribution of land ownership and increase greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) in palm oil cultivation, and reduce food security. Highlights • System dynamics is presented as a methodological tool in sustainability assessment. • Technological efficiency and politics are relevant on biodiesel-sustainability. • Biodiesel production is limited by production capacity and production costs. • Using biodiesel have not a significant impact on air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years increasing attention has been given to the potential use of contaminated lands for biofuel production, because these degraded soils cannot be used for food production. To establish these crops in Mediterranean contaminated areas, where the soil quality is usually very poor, the addition of soil amendments might be necessary to improve soil productivity. In addition, the use of crops with low water demands, adapted to these particular conditions of climate and soil contamination, is a key requirement. We studied the development of Cynara cardunculus and Silybum mariamun crops (both suitable for the production of biomass for biofuel uses under a Mediterranean climate) in trace element contaminated soils under field conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first such work under these particular experimental conditions (soil contamination and field trial). Soil physical (hydraulic), chemical, and biochemical properties were monitored for one year in experimental plots, where we tested the effects of the addition of two different amendments (sugar lime and biosolid compost) on soil functioning and crop productivity. Seed germination and plant biomass production were low, although amendment addition improved both parameters. The chemical and biological indicators (enzyme activities, PLFA profiles, and soil respiration) tended to be slightly improved by the amendments, especially sugar lime. The hydraulic properties of the soil in the experimental area were very deficient, and the effect of the amendments was not enough to improve them; this was probably the main cause of the general low productivity of these rain-fed crops, as water infiltrated poorly through the root zone. To improve crop productivity under these soil conditions, certain aspects could be improved: higher doses of amendments should be applied and deeper tillage of the soil after amendment addition should be performed to facilitate water infiltration. Highlights • We study two Mediterranean bioenergy crops under contaminated field conditions. • Crop yield was low despite amendment addition to soil. • Chemical and biological indicators tended to be slightly improved by amendments. • Poor hydraulic properties under the rainfed conditions determined crop development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biofuels/Bioenergy is renewable in nature by mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions despite rapid economic growth and energy demand. Biodiesel and bioethanol production from renewable sources are gaining much attention but unable to translate the technologies into commercially ventures. Several technical challenges like the screening of algae/yeast for higher lipid accumulation/ethanol production, separation and purification of microalgae from contaminants, harvesting of microalgae, improving transesterification efficiency with meager solvent consumption, energy and time have been addressed using microfluidic devices. Besides, it has shown promising results in microbial fuel cell domain. Microfluidics and microreactors offer miniaturization of experiments by a very little expense of solvents, energy and time with higher precision results. Moreover, it provides 19.2% higher surface to volume ratio when compared with Petri dish (35 mm diameter) and microchannel (50 µm tall, 50 µm wide, and 30 mm long). Higher surface to volume ratio is helpful in the integration of the whole laboratory (i.e., lab-on-a-chip), where efficient screening of ethanol/lipid producer, higher transesterification efficiency could be ascertained. Due to the overwhelming potential of microfluidics in biofuel and bioenergy sectors, the present review article illustrated several examples to depict the importance of microfluidics towards high-throughput analysis of screening the potent microbial/microalgal strain, fabrication of microfluidic bioreactor, quality analysis of biofuel and bioenergy products. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • Microalgal biodiesel and MFC's are the two well-studied disciplines of this decade. • Microfluidic technology utilizes lesser samples and facilitates higher surface area. • Microfluidics facilitates better cultivation and process conditions for algal biodiesel production. • Taking heuristics of microfluidics the MFC's can easily turn into integrated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With its rich climatic and geographical variance, Nepal harbors a habitat for a diverse set of microbes. This research aims to identify and study the potency of native cellulolytic microbes. Cellulolytic microbes are being used to produce biofuels. The microorganisms were isolated from varied sources and grown in three valid media: Tryptone Soy Broth (TSB), Nutrient Broth (NB) and Gelatin. The findings from the growth quality observations, hydrolysis capacity calculations, and total cellulase assay were used to assess the cellulase enzyme potency of the microbes. Although all three media can be used to study the growth and isolation of the cellulolytic microbes, and different media showed different application potential, Gelatin media may be preferred for screening a large sample size. Hydrolysis capacity in TSB, NB and Gelatin media ranged from 4.0–5.2, 3.8–5.4 and 4.0–5.4 for the bacterial samples and 8.8, 9.0 and 9.2 for 0.1% pure cellulase enzyme, respectively. The results from 16S rRNA full-sequence and cladogram analysis indicate the possibility of a new strain of cellulolytic bacteria. Among the isolated microorganisms, four microbes were discovered close to the Bacillus genus, and one microbe was close to Paenibacillus. The selection of media for isolation and culture of the cellulolytic microbes depends on the researcher's decision and the availability of the resources. As one of the first studies to identify the native cellulolytic strains of Nepali origin, the study pushes other national and international researchers to consider the divergent climatic conditions of Nepal for potential cellulolytic strains. Highlights • Gelatin media can be recommended for isolating cellulolytic microbes for large number of samples. • 4 native cellulolytic microbes from Nepal were documented using 16S rRNA sequencing. • A new species having 86% match with all known Bacillus species was discovered. • Hydrolysis Capacity estimation and total cellulase assay showed the cellulolytic potential of those microbes. • Enzyme activity was higher for a microbe isolated from hotspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Electricity is considered the most versatile form of energy derived from commonly used primary source of energy; fossil fuels. Sri Lanka forecast 6.5% annual growth in the demand for electricity, where the recent generation mix (in 2016) comprised of 25% hydro power, 31% oil, 35% coal and 9% renewables, with continued growth in wind and solar energy systems. The national Energy Policy targeted to reach minimum 10% of the demand for gird electricity using non-conventional renewable energy by 2015, and the policy now is to use only renewable energy sources for electricity generation by 2050 through installing large scale wind, solar and biomass power plants. In the path to achieve this growth and transformation, the challenge is to use resources and materials with minimum environmental consequences and damages in construction, operation and deconstruction phases of power plants. This paper looks in to possible environmental consequences, based on life cycle analysis, arising out of different electricity generation mixes comprising thermal, hydro, wind and solar energy. The study shows that, in meeting the electricity demand in 2050 using either solar or wind power alone, or through a mix of the two, would have adverse environmental impacts on freshwater and marine ecotoxicity, urban land occupation, metal depletion, agricultural land occupation and natural land transformation, whereas hydropower adds impact towards water depletion too. It is evident from the results that, in Sri Lanka, future electricity generation mix between wind and solar energy has to be determined mainly considering the land occupation and metal depletion impact categories. Further, the results point to the essential need for a national integrated waste management policy in decommissioning power plants; existing fossil fueled power plants and new large scale solar and wind based power plants, to avoid more adverse environmental impacts associated with decommissioning of different types of power plants. Highlights • The study is about environmental impacts of electricity generation in Sri Lanka. • The evaluation is based on life cycle assessment. • This work discusses environmental merits and demerits of different generation mixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The goal of this paper is to evaluate the supply of sugarcane to mills and also the supply of green harvesting residues to second-generation ethanol plants under three different strategies: chopping, baling and integral harvesting. A dynamic model was developed in order to simulate the biomass flow along the main activities within sugar-ethanol supply chain. Weather, geographical and operational constraints were considered for calculating the biomass availability. The model is able to quantify the production of sugar and first-generation ethanol from mills, electricity surplus from co-generation and second-generation ethanol with the aim of evaluating operational, economic and environmental indicators. In this study it was found that the integral harvesting is the best strategy for supply the residues in terms of cost (5.90 USD/dry t), energy inputs (56.89 MJ/dry t) and carbon emissions (4.18 kg CO 2 /dry t). The low resources utilization due to the inappropriate harvest-load-transport synchronization creates bottlenecks that decrease the system throughput, leaving the door open for further improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Second generation bioconversion industry is a driver towards the post-petroleum age where materials and fuels are made of renewable resources. Agricultural residues are a promising feedstock source for emerging bioeconomic concepts. Research on the forecasting of feedstock potentials is still scarce and available methodologies are not harmonised. Biomass markets are characterised by their regionality, which requires regionalised assessments and forecasting of feedstock potentials. This work dealt with the question of the variables that determine the future development of agricultural harvesting residues. It further examines methodologies allowing a spatially explicit prediction of feedstock potentials. The forecasting approach was applied to wheat straw, corn stover, barley straw, and rapeseed straw, which together account for 80 per cent of cereals and oil crops harvesting residues in the European Union. The results indicate the largest increase of all investigated crops was for corn stover at up to 20 per cent between 2017 and 2030. Barley straw potentials are expected to stay rather constant within the coming decade. Rapeseed is the only crop likely to face a decreasing production in many regions in the coming years. This work identified increasing crop yields as the main driver for advancing feedstock potentials. Especially Central and Eastern European countries show high growth rates. The methodology of the research work contributes to the discussions about sustainable resource potentials of the European bioeconomy. The forecasting results can be used for strategic decision-making in emerging bioconversion concepts. Highlights • Spatially explicit assessment of agricultural residue potentials in the EU. • Time series-based forecast until 2030. • Focused on wheat straw, corn stover, barley straw and rape straw. • Developed forecasting methodology is transferable to other biomass feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Improvement of processes starting from renewable feedstocks to produce chemicals and biofuels up to now derived from fossil carbon feedstocks is paramount to creating environmentally sustainable industrial processes. Guerbet condensation of ethanol to give n -butanol represents a turning point not only respect to the traditional petrochemical "oxo" process, but also to the bio-chemical path (Acetone Butanol Ethanol "ABE" process). In this work, different Cu/Mg/Al hydrotalcite-derived mixed oxides catalysts, with Cu atomic content in the range 7.6–1.0%, were synthetised, characterized, and tested for the Guerbet reaction. The adopted catalysts are easy to produce, and based on available, cheap and non-toxic metals. Tailoring Cu-content in hydrotalcite-derived Cu/Mg/Al mixed oxides allowed us to selectively address this reaction towards n -butanol formation, highlighting how a low Cu-content favours the condensation to n -butanol and higher alcohols, in particular n -hexanol, decreasing the ester formation. The Guerbet selective co-production of [ n -butanol + n -hexanol] is economically even more attractive than that of the sole n -butanol, being both saleable products. Good catalytic performances to n -butanol and n -hexanol were achieved, in a batch process carried out under subcritical conditions. These catalysts have required a simple procedure of recovery, showing good recyclability, in term of catalytic performances to give the target products, thus opening the way to applicative perspectives. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • BuOH was synthesized by condensation of ethanol in liquid phase. • Different Cu/Mg/Al hydrotalcite-derived mixed oxides were employed as catalysts. • Tailoring Cu-content allows us to address the reaction toward BuOH formation. • Characterization of catalysts enables to establish structure-performance trends. • Conversion up to 32.0 mol % with selectivity to BuOH of 53 mol% were ascertained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Selecting the supplier is a very critical part to the comprehensive performance of modern enterprises. With the large-scale development of straw biomass industry, green supplier selection has become a key decision-making task which needs to collect and process mass of information, it is necessary to make the supplier to go green. Nevertheless, it is safe to say, in fact, that so far there are a few researches on supplier selection in straw biomass industry. At the same time, some crucial problems urgently needed to be solved exist in present research, as shown below:①decision-making methods are frequently used, even though they have some serious problems, e.g. information loss.②some key index factors are ignored, green supplier selection hasn't got attracted sufficient attention.③little work has been performed on the fuzziness or the uncertainty of index weight. To solve the problems mentioned above, this paper tries to find out some ways to make improvements:①Cloud model is proposed to handle the fuzziness and randomness of evaluation information.②Index system is more comprehensive. Important issues, such as on-time delivery, pollutant emissions per unit fuel(t) and green certification, are paid more attention to.③Fuzzy AHP is applied to determine the index weight, the uncertainty of criteria and sub-criteria are considered, the vagueness of human thought is dealt with.④A decision framework based on Cloud model and possibility degree is put forward to guide the optimal selection of green supplier selection.⑤A Chinese case is carried out and related sensitivity analysis is performed. The results show that the proposed novel model not only can find the more suitable green supplier, but also reveal the big gap between alternatives clearly. The strength of the proposed new decision framework is proved. Highlights • An evaluation index system of green supplier selection in straw biomass industry is built. • Fuzzy AHP is applied to determine the index weight, the vagueness of human thought is considered. • A model for converting the 2-dimension linguistic variables into clouds is proposed. • A decision framework is proposed to guide the optimal selection of green supplier selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • First assessment of sustainable development achievements of Brazilian CDM projects. • Four project types are analyzed: hydro, biomass energy, landfill gas and methane avoidance. • CDM project types have stimulated local income and labor opportunities. • Only CDM hydro projects have contributed to reduce poverty at the local level. Abstract The goal of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is both emission reduction and sustainable development, but while emission reductions generate revenues for the project developer, no such benefit results from the achievement of sustainable development. The objective of this research is therefore to analyze to which extent CDM investments have led to sustainable development benefits, and whether there is a difference in these effects between renewable energy and waste handling and disposal projects. Complementary to existing studies, which are based on potential effects reported ex-ante by project developers, this paper aims at quantifying impacts of CDM projects on sustainable development based on empirical data. Using data for years 2000 (pre-CDM) and 2010 (post-CDM) for Brazilian municipalities, this paper combines difference-in-differences assessment with matching techniques to identify the effect of CDM investments on development and poverty indicators by distinguishing for four project's types: hydro, biomass energy, landfill gas and methane avoidance. Results show that CDM project types have stimulated local income and labor opportunities but only hydro projects have contributed to reduce poverty at the municipal level for the period analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In conjunction with the European Union (EU) targets, the United Kingdom (UK) Government has introduced a range of mechanisms to foster the development and deployment of low carbon energy technologies and markets. This study focuses on the three main financial incentive schemes to promote renewable energy sector in the UK for electricity, heat and fuel production from renewables, namely feed-in tariff (FiT), Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and Renewables Obligation Certificate (RoC), considering the fact that optimal policy design depends on effective analyses of the impacts of incentives on the performance of renewable energy systems. The effects of potential changes in these incentive schemes on the economic and environmental performance of bioenergy sector are investigated using an analytical methodology. The methodology integrates fuzzy decision making and multi objective mathematical modelling in the same framework to capture uncertainties in the system parameters as well as economic and environmental sustainability aspects. Computational experiments are performed on bioenergy production using the entire West Midlands Region in the UK as case study region. The results reveal that the changes in incentive policies have a significant impact on the profitability of the supply chain, whereas environmental performance of the supply chain in terms of total GHG emissions is the least affected performance indicator by the changes in the incentive policies. Highlights • The study focuses on the main incentive schemes to promote renewable energy in the UK. • Feed-in tariff, Renewable Heat Incentive and Renewables Obligation Certificate schemes are focused on. • The effects of changes in renewable energy incentives on bioenergy sector are analyzed and discussed. • A methodology based on fuzzy multi objective mathematical modelling is used. • Computational experiments are performed using the entire West Midlands Region in the UK as case study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bio-economy can be defined as an economy where renewable biomasses are produced and converted into value-added materials, chemicals, foods, feeds, fuels and energy: therefore, it represents one valid, reliable way to transition to equitable, sustainable, post fossil-carbon societies. For this reason, it is increasingly gaining attention by scientists and academics worldwide, as is supported by this special issue developed within the Journal of Cleaner Production and presented in this editorial article. This Virtual Special Issue (VSI) was designed to highlight the importance of academic research in documenting the multiple greening effects that bio-economy has in multiple societal sectors. Therefore, the editors are confident that it will help to create the platform to exchange and to enhance knowledge on the evolving bio-economy. In this context, this editorial was designed to provide an overview of the papers contained in this special issue and to highlight their contributions to the bio-economy within five main research themes: biomass, biomaterials and bioenergy; agriculture; forestry; production and packaging of foods and feeds; and miscellaneous applications. Based upon the analysis of this VSI's papers, the authors found that there is an urgent need for research on: meta-studies of cross-country/regional interventions, to assess which interventions are more effective; more effective harmonisation solutions of methodological approaches for bio-economy assessments; and finally more interdisciplinary collaboration among technical and social scientists to identify and address the relevant questions for the bio-economy and to exchange and involve academics with all actors of the "innovation pipeline" of the bio-economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The world today is facing challenging crises like depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution. Biofuels can be an alternative solution to fossil fuels. Iran hosts a variety of weather conditions and its soil can grow different types of plants suitable for production of liquid biofuels. In this regard, the present research is an in-depth attempt to explore the potentials of Khuzestan Province as an agriculture hub of Iran to produce liquid biofuels. The studied biodiesel sources included oilseeds, animal fats and fish wastes, and the sources of bioethanol were wheat, sugarcane, sugar beet, rice, barley, maize, alfalfa, potato, grapes, apple, date and other local citrus fruits including orange, grapefruit, sweet lemon, sour lemon and sour orange. Results showed that the province's production potential was 1.04 Gl of bioethanol. A 5% addition of ethanol to gasoline (i.e. E5) can save 63.5 Ml of gasoline throughout the province. The estimated biodiesel production from animal fat- and oil-containing products and fish wastes is about 56 Ml in this province that can supply 2% of its total diesel fuel requirement. The estimated fat-based biodiesel production of Iran is 332.56 million liters. By adding the biodiesel production from oilseeds, Iran can produce 1.27 Gl of biodiesel fuel. This amount can supply 4.2% of the country's total diesel fuel consumption. The results for bioethanol and biodiesel production show promising alternatives. As a result of sound management of agricultural residues, E5 (5% ethanol, 95% gasoline) for SI engines and B2 (2% biodiesel and 98% diesel fuel) for diesel engines can be commercially produced as they impose no modifications to these engines. Highlights • Agricultural residues and animal fat for production of biofuels were investigated. • About 1.04 and 0.06 Gl of bioethanol and biodiesel could be produced. • A total profit of 513 million USD can be achieved from the total produced residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Using waste cooking oil for biofuel production is potentially beneficial to food safety and energy supply. However, the lack of waste cooking oil as a feedstock for biofuel production is one of the main reasons mentioned by the biofuel industry for the illegal reprocessing of cooking oil for secondary use. Thus, it is necessary to acquire information and knowledge about how to inspire restaurants to submit their wasted cooking oil to formal collectors such as biofuel manufacturers, rather than to informal channels. We carry out random sampling surveys on restaurants in Beijing's urban districts through internet questionnaires and face-to-face investigations to explore the behaviours, awareness, and willingness of restaurants to submit their waste cooking oil for biofuel production. The results show that the total quantity of waste cooking oil generated by restaurants is 90.14 thousand tonnes in 2016. Additionally, 24% of restaurants do not submit waste cooking oil to formal collectors, and approximately 21.63 thousand tonnes of waste cooking oil is unaccounted for. We find that mandatory regulations and economic incentives are the dominant factors that affect restaurants' disposal decisions. With a subsidy value of 4 yuan RMB/kg, all the restaurants are willing to submit waste cooking oil to formal collectors. Governmental departments should also consider building economic incentives, enhancing the mandatory regulation, designing different methods to manage different types of restaurants, and strengthening supervision and education to ensure the safe disposal of waste cooking oil and promote its use for biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The use of biogas from AD as renewable energy has been widely adopted by many industries worldwide to facilitate and lower the greenhouse effect through the reduction of methane emissions into the atmosphere. Removal of organic matter in brewery wastewater using AD system is important for eco-friendly environment and in the generation of renewable energy. This study investigated the efficiency of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) reactor in treating brewery wastewater and generation of biogas as one of the sources of renewable energy. Physico-chemical parameters, dynamics and abundance of methane-producing Archaea were studied using standard methods and fluorescent in-situ hybridization, respectively. Raw wastewater from brewery plant had high organic matter and solids content that needs pre-treatment before its discharged into the municipal wastewater treatment plants. The average removal efficiency recorded for biological and chemical oxygen demand were 60.21% and 78.97% respectively. The removal efficiency shows the performance of the investigated UASB reactor in reducing contaminants from brewery wastewater during anaerobic digestion. Methane producing Archaea was also active during the treatment process with biogas production containing 60–69% methane. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed the effect of pH and other measured physico-chemical parameters on methane production with high positive correlation coefficient (R > 0.6). The result of fluorescence in-situ hybridization analysis identified the methane-producing Archaea in the investigated UASB reactor treating brewery wastewater as orders Methanobacteriales, Methanococcales and Methanomicrobiales; genera Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina. The results of this study provide valuable reference information in optimizing and improving reactor performance for maximum bioenergy production through the degradation of organic matter present in brewery wastewater. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • We evaluate the efficiency of UASB reactor treating high strength brewery wastewater. • Correlation between operational parameters and CH 4 production using multivariate analysis. • We identified methanogens in a full-scale biogas producing UASB reactor using FISH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy is a rapidly growing subsector of the emerging bioeconomy, with the potential to create a substantial number of jobs. However, training programmes for these positions are limited, and there is currently a lack of research-based guidance for the creation of new programmes. This study employed a modified, two-round Delphi technique to generate a bioenergy education framework, utilising the expertise of professionals in the field. Participants were presented with a list of bioenergy concepts and rated the importance of including each topic in a college-level bioenergy curriculum, using a five-point scale. Suggestions for additional items were requested. After receiving feedback about the panel's mean ratings from Round One, experts were again asked to rate each item. A comparison between rankings from participants in academia and industry showed that, overall, their priorities are well aligned. The resulting framework provides structure for developing standardised bioenergy workforce education programmes and appropriate evaluation instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomethane increasingly grows in importance in the bioenergy sector, as it is a renewable energy source that promotes waste recovery and GHG (greenhouse gases) reduction. In Brazil, the legal framework for biogas and biomethane is being developed, especially in the State of São Paulo. However, many of the final uses to biomethane require an upgrading and cleaning process, to remove contaminants such as H 2 S and CO 2 . Facing the great number of technological options to promote biogas upgrading and cleaning so far, policymakers and energy planners might lack the tools to accurately and readily estimate biomethane potentials to comply with a given biomethane quality standard. Our main objective thus is to propose a short-cut, mass balance-based model to predict biomethane availability after promoting a biogas cleaning and upgrading process, regardless of the source of organic feedstock. The model development results in the ratio of biogas to biomethane production and other relevant parameters regarding biomethane use, such as its LHV. The correlation with data from the literature shows that the model has a satisfactory prediction, even when using upgrading technologies that have high methane losses. The model was applied to a case study of upgrading biogas from vinasse from ethanol production in the state of São Paulo; it aided in choosing the upgrading technology for biogas focusing on biomethane injection in the natural gas pipeline and in replacing diesel oil in trucks and heavy-duty machinery in the ethanol plant. Using the proposed model, it was estimated that 1.975x10 9 Nm 3 /y of biomethane could be produced, supplying 16.6% of the NG consumption in the State of São Paulo and making it possible to displace the entire diesel oil consumption in ethanol mills. The use of biomethane in the ethanol plants of São Paulo would avoid 3.965x10 6 t CO2eq of GHG emissions, which represents 5.48% of the GHG emissions of the state in 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Clostridium organisms are of major importance in the development of technologies to produce biofuels and chemicals. They are uniquely capable of utilizing virtually all biomass-derived carbohydrates, as well as waste gases, waste materials, and C1 compounds, and they possess diverse biosynthetic capabilities for producing a broad spectrum of metabolites, including those of C4–C8 chain length. They can also be readily used in synthetic, syntrophic, and other microbial consortia to broaden the biosynthetic repertoire of individual organisms, thus enabling the development of novel biotechnological processes. Engineering Clostridium organisms at the molecular and population level is hampered by genetic engineering, genome engineering, and microbial-population engineering tools. We discuss these challenges, and the promise that derives from their resolution aiming to usher in an era of broader use of Clostridium organisms as biotechnological platforms. Highlights • Clostridia can metabolize sugars, waste gases, and C1 compounds, and thus are ideal for fuel and chemical production. • Emphasis is placed on current challenges in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology tools of Clostridium organism. • Discussion of previous and newly developed anaerobic fluorescent reporters for use in Clostridium organisms is provided. • Perspectives on the ability of syntrophic co-culture to broaden the biosynthetic repertoire of clostridia is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Corynebacterium glutamicum is a major workhorse in industrial biotechnology. For the past several decades, this soil bacterium has been used to produce the amino acids l -glutamate and l -lysine at a level of 6 million tons per year. Utilizing novel genome editing methods and advanced tools of systems and synthetic biology, the portfolio of C. glutamicum has exploded from classical food and feed products to the chemical industry, cosmetics and healthcare applications. Within the past five years, the number of industrial products has almost doubled to approximately 70 natural and non-natural compounds. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art regarding metabolically engineered cell factories of C. glutamicum , illustrates recent key technological developments and provides examples of the major industrial applications of this important microbe. Highlights • Genome-editing of the microbe allows for multiplexed genomic engineering. • Biosensors display a key innovation to drive strain development and screening. • Metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum is meanwhile applied to produce more than 70 products. • Novel substrate assimilation routes strongly expand the raw material basis for renewable bio-production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic residues used for biofuel production is an alternative source to increase the energy supply. However, the cellulose found in this biomass must be made available in fermentable sugars, requiring a complex enzymatic mechanism only found in specific microorganisms. Some thermophilic and anaerobic bacteria of the Clostridium species are able to produce cellulolytic enzymes and metabolize pentose and hexose to ethanol. Therefore, we evaluated the degradation of cellulose, glucose, and xylose through the use of a thermophilic microbial consortium and ethanol production. The batch tests were performed in Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus medium at 55 °C, pH 7. The tests were performed using 5.51 mmol/L glucose, 8.06 mmol/L xylose and 1 g/L cellulose. The highest ethanol yield was observed in the reactor with glucose (1.73 mol-EtOH/mol-glucose), followed by the reactor with xylose (1.33 mol-EtOH/mol-xylose). In contrast, the reactor with cellulose exhibited lower ethanol yield (1.88.10 −3  mol-EtOH/g-cellulose), acetic acid and methane were also observed. Bacteria similar to Caloramator sp., Fervidobacterium sp., Thermoanaerobacterium sp. and Ethanoligenens sp. were identified by Illumina MiSeq sequencing, all related to the ethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to find whether the bioenergy industry contributed to the growth of the energy sector in the EU-28 region from 1990 to 2013. This study adopts the framework of the conventional production function to identify the influence of the bioenergy industry on the growth of the energy totality industries in the EU-28 region. To this goal, the authors apply the unit root test, panel cointegration test, cointegration estimate analysis, and heterogeneous panel causality test. The key finding of this study is that the bioenergy industry's determinant consumption and labour and capital inputs have an important and positive effect on the outgrowth of the energy section. This study showed that there is a significant long-run balanced correlation between the bioenergy industry and the outgrowth of the energy sector in the EU-28 region. Heterogeneous panel causality results show that bioenergy consumption and capital input of the bioenergy industry have an important and positive correlation with the growth of the energy sector in EU28. Also, the results show that bioenergy consumption, capital input of bioenergy, and labour input of the bioenergy industry have important and positive relationships with the growth of the energy sector in EU28 developed states. Moreover, heterogeneous panel causality results show that bioenergy consumption and labour input of the bioenergy industry have important and positive correlations with the growth of the energy sector in EU28 developing states. With reference to the studied panel dataset implicating all 3 models, the findings boost the growth hypothesis. The implications of such analysis for the EU energy policy makers are related to competitiveness, sustainable development, and the security of energy supply. The results showed that the bioenergy industry have an important effect on the growth of the energy sector in the EU-28 region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient fermentation of xylose can improve biofuel production. We previously developed a two-stage transcriptional reprogramming (TSTR) strategy (including a glucose fermentation stage and a xylose fermentation stage) and demonstrated its application for the construction of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with efficient xylose utilization. In this study, we used these as initial strains to assess the effects of copy number variation (CNV) on optimal gene expression and rewiring the redox balance of the xylose utilization pathway. We obtained strains that contained several integrated copies of XYL1, XYL2, and XKS1 and showed increased ethanol yields. An examination of the individual and combined effects of CNVs of key genes and the redox balance pathway revealed that the TSTR strategy improves ethanol production efficiency. Furthermore, XYL1 or XYL2 overexpression was related to improved xylose utilization. These results showed that strains with faster growth and/or higher ethanol production produced more ethanol from xylose via the synthetic xylose-assimilation pathway. Accordingly, TSTR is an effective strategy to improve xylose metabolism in industrial yeast strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2012 to 2016, the long-term signal in the biofuel market changed almost once per year, leading to a drastic decrease in investments and contributing to multiple production unit closures in France and around Europe. The European Commission proposed a new renewable energy directive that includes a 3.8% cap limit on the contribution of food-crop biofuels by 2030. Given the role of biofuels in green growth, the bioeconomy, and renewable energy incorporation targets, how will this measure affect the stakeholders by 2030? Will it lead to, contribute to, or hamper their sustainability criteria? This paper aims to contribute to this debate by studying the case of France. To this end, our methodology—the range-based multi-actor multi-criteria analysis—aims to (1) explicitly consider the stakeholder groups and their sustainability criteria; (2) evaluate and compare how the cap limit will affect these sustainability criteria whether or not advanced biofuels are deployed by 2030; (3) capture the uncertainty of the context evolution and biofuel capacity to fulfil the stakeholders’ sustainability criteria by means of a Monte Carlo. The results suggest that the cap limit is a double-edged sword for the stakeholders and their sustainability criteria. Shifting towards advanced biofuels while limiting the food-crop biofuels is the better alternative for most of the stakeholders. Nevertheless, given biofuel policy instability and the lost confidence of investors, such a shift may not occur by 2030. In such a case, this paper demonstrates that the cap limit may highly and negatively affect the stakeholders and their sustainability targets, whereas fostering French food-crop biofuel production at its full capacity level constitutes a better alternative. As no alternative is suited to all actors simultaneously, this paper also studies the strengths and weaknesses of these alternatives from each stakeholder groups’ perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops an integrated model for dynamically predicting the energy potential of straw resources and assessing regional energy, environmental, and socioeconomic benefits of straw utilization for energy production. Jilin Province, China is taken as an empirical study area. The quantity of straw resources is estimated by principal component analysis and autoregressive integrated moving average model considering panel data of six influential factors and grain yield. The regional energy, environmental, and socioeconomic benefits of straw utilization through three bioenergy conversion technologies (direct-combustion power generation, briquette fuel and cellulosic fuel ethanol) are quantitatively evaluated referring to Global Bioenergy Partnership's sustainability indicators. The results indicate that the quantity of straw available for energy production has continuous rising trend spanning 15 years (2016–2030) and could amount to 47.10 million t (Mt) by 2030. According to local government planning within 15 years, three straw-energy industries could contribute to a net profit of 2.2 billion USD. The accumulative mitigation amount of greenhouse gases, SO 2 , NO x and PM 2.5 is 700.25 Mt, 3.99 Mt, 2.05 Mt and 3.94 Mt, respectively in contrast to fossil fuels burning and open-burning of straw. In total 166.05 thousand employments could be created. The methods and results presented are expected to provide decision makers with guidance for regional development of bioenergy industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies and business decisions intended to promote the use of bioenergy should be based on accurate estimates of the sustainability impacts of various alternatives, including indirect consequences of any change. Consequential life-cycle assessment (CLCA) attempts to include such impacts in the analysis. This paper reviews studies that have adopted a CLCA approach to analysing the use of bioenergy, describing their main topics, approaches, empirical and methodological aspects and scenarios. The review finds that the production of studies proceeded at a modest pace from 2007, with a significant increase occurring from 2015 onward. The most studied impact is global warming potential (GWP), although other impacts are frequently taken into consideration. A majority of the studies concern the agricultural-, followed by the forest sector. The literature has a European emphasis, and relatively few studies have focused on low- and middle-income countries. The review also finds a diversity in terms of how empirical and methodological aspects are taken into consideration. Based on the findings of the review, areas of improvement for future research are suggested: an increased focus on bioenergy use in the household sectors, more studies in under-researched regions, more precise explanations of the CLCA methods used, a critical examination of the scenarios, and methodological collaboration with economic bio-sector modelling. In addition, the factors that affect the generalizability of the results can be discussed in a more systematic manner. Frameworks and procedures for improving the applicability and validity of CLCA will likely emerge as the research field develops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the ever-increasing energy demand, triggered by the continued population growth and accelerated industrial revolution, renewable energy has emerged as the world's fastest-growing energy source. Renewable energy's popularity has grown because it is environmentally friendly and abundant in natural environments. Despite its enormous potential as a viable alternative to traditional (fossil fuel-based) energy sources, renewable energy has rarely been commercialized and utilized. Its lack of commercialization has something to do with a lack of evidence proving its eco- and cost-efficiency. With this in mind, this paper aims to assess the eco- and cost-efficiency of renewable energy such as algae-based biofuels using data visualization. It also intends to help increase public awareness and facilitate the commercialization of renewable energy such as biofuels. Through experiments, this paper found that the success of biofuel commercialization hinged on temperature, light intensity, and algae strain. Another important finding is that the low carbon footprint resulting from biofuel consumption may not directly contribute to the immediate revenue growth of a biofuel producing company, but it can foster a long-term positive image that will help attract more customers in the future with increased brand recognition. Furthermore, this paper evaluates the effectiveness, the level of user involvement, and the usability of two data visualization tools built upon the dashboard and the balanced scorecard. Based on the case study, this paper demonstrates how effective and useful the tools are in communicating the firm's strategic goals toward sustainability and thus provides easier practical guidelines for renewable energy development decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weight loss has been suggested as an important indicator of torrefaction severity for describing the performance of this thermal pretreatment process. The present study establishes a correlation of torrefaction performance, severity, and energy usage for the applications of this pretreatment for solid fuel (biochar) production. Three different biomass wastes, namely, spent coffee grounds, Chinese medicine residue, and microalga residue, have been torrefied in nitrogen at a temperature range of 200–300 °C for 15–60 min to produce biochars. Their properties such as the enhancement factor of higher heating value, energy yield, decarbonization, dehydrogenation, deoxygenation, and atomic O/C and H/C ratios have been investigated. The obtained results indicate that the introduced dimensionless parameter (the torrefaction severity index in terms of the weight loss of biomass) correlates sufficiently with the biochar properties; the exception is the O/C ratio as a consequence of the intrinsic difference in components between the utilized wastes. A new parameter (the upgrading energy index) was also defined to account for the energy efficiency of the torrefaction system. This index follows a decreasing trend with increasing torrefaction severity index. This shows that biochar quality or heating value is intensified at a higher torrefaction severity; however, the energy efficiency is lowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of biofuels were produced and compared from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and coupling washing with torrefaction (CWT) processes of bamboo sawdust in this study. The mass and energy yields, mass energy density, fuel properties, structural characterizations, combustion behavior and ash behavior during combustion process were investigated. Significant increases in the carbon contents resulted in the improvement of mass energy density and fuel properties of biofuels obtained. Both HTC and CWT improved the safety of the biofuels during the process of handling, storing and transportation. The ash-related issues of the biofuels were significantly mitigated and combustion behavior was remarkably improved after HTC and CWT processes of bamboo sawdust. In general, both HTC and CWT processes are suitable to produce biofuels with high fuel quality from bamboo sawdust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the prospect of depletion of non-renewable sources of fossil fuels and concerns about the emission of substances that compromise the environment, biofuels, and especially bioethanol, have attracted the attention of researchers, companies and governments. Specifically, the second generation of bioethanol has critical stages in the production process which have been limiting for companies to achieve production on a commercial scale. Although research has sought to overcome such constraints by focusing on technological challenges, it has been recognized that the greater or lesser absorption capacity of technological innovations is related to the business model used. The purpose of this article was to analyze the business models used by Brazilian companies that have achieved commercial scale production of second generation bioethanol, studying their business models as commercial viability instruments of technologies, looking to subsidize companies of this segment in formulating their policies to reach commercial scale. The research was carried out through a methodology based on the content analysis technique, which provided the following categories that served as the basis for the analysis of the business models: company focus, raw material, costs, certification, technology and production. Among the six major second-generation commercial ethanol plants in the world - GranBio, Raízen, Poet-DSM, BetaRenewables, Abengoa (plant bought by Synata Bio) and DuPont - two are Brazilian: GranBio and Raízen, which mainly use sugar cane bagasse and straw as raw material. The study demonstrated that both companies have competitive advantages that are equivalent in most of the categories studied, albeit GranBio’s business model performs better in some other categories due to the strategic partnerships it has established with some of the main companies in the segment, thus, better exploring the benefits of the open innovation environment that characterizes the competitive arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) model to determine feedstock supply, preprocessing facility, and biorefinery locations at a highly resolved spatial scale with the objective of meeting a large-scale annual biofuel production and demand goal for Tennessee, USA. Simultaneous determination of this supply chain network using MIP is computationally expensive. Memory limitation of typical personal computers constrain the network problem. High Performance Computing environments may require days to solve, and without any assurance of a feasible solution. This paper proposes a two-stage optimization procedure to overcome these computational challenges while maintaining theoretical consistency with conventional firm location theory paradigms. The two-stage procedure assumes that firms first identify biorefinery locations with comparative advantage in terms of supplying biomass. Step two entails determining if costs can be lowered with the addition of preprocessing facilities, and their optimal location relative to the biorefinery sites. In contrast, a single step optimization procedure siting multiple biorefineries and concomitantly preprocessing units and biomass supply areas assumes a different strategy for a single firm. Results suggest that the two-stage optimization approach is able to identify a feasible solution of multiple feedstock areas, feedstock preprocessing and fuel production locations using high-resolution spatial layers over a relatively large geographic region in a fraction of the computer resources required to solve a single, simultaneous location problem. The optimal supply chain network solutions generated from the two-stage and single simultaneous approaches are different. The absolute difference in the smaller scaled models’ objective values is less than 1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]