Economical and sustainable conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and co-products

The problematic of the decrease in fossil resources and the increase in society's awareness about environmental pollution has pressured the industries to find alternatives to their processes. As a result, actions have been taken to replace fossil-based raw materials by more sustainable materials for the production of fuels and other valuable products. Especially the lignocellulosic biomass is under intensive investigation since it is abundant, doesn’t compete with food production, and acts as a mitigating agent to GHG emissions due to CO₂ intake during cultivation. The development of biorefineries that use lignocellulosic biomass for the production of biofuels and other high-value co-products is a strategy that has been then evaluated in order to establish competitive processes to those using fossil-based technologies. The feedstock, the chosen product and the conversion technology are key parameters in a biorefinery design. Due to the huge variety of each one of these parameters, the configuration options for biorefinery seem to be unlimited. Several different technologies are being suggested and studied for pretreatment and conversion of lignocellulosic feedstock to valuable products. However, besides the financial success of an operational process is also essential to keep in mind the sustainability performance of the developed biorefinery. The collection, pretreatment and processing of biomass must be promoted in an economic and sustainable way to mitigate climate change, improve energy security and increase economic returns. Recycling aspects must also be integrated in the bio-based production management to ensure that minimum environmental impact and maximum sustainability can be achieved.