Challenges and perspectives for the development of lignocellulosic biorefineries

Lignocellulosic biomass clearly represents a sustainable and low-cost resource that can be converted into fuels and chemicals. The interest in using this type of biomass has strongly increased in the last years and, in some countries, the production of advanced biofuels and chemical products from lignocellulosic feedstocks is already a reality. In order to achieve an efficient utilization of lignocellulosic materials and to develop economical, robust and reliable processes for a biorefinery, an effective fractionation of the biomass into its main constituents (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) is essential. Pretreatment is the most important step to obtain an efficient conversion of biomass to value-added products, but it is still one of the most expensive steps in a biorefinery. Different products can also be produced from biomass, however, not all of them are economically or sustainable attractive for the development of a bioeconomy. The development of sustainable biorefineries is the key for a successful integrated production of food, feed, chemicals, materials, goods, and fuels in the future. This study will present the current challenges and perspectives for the development of lignocellulosic biorefineries including aspects related to biomass composition, advances in pretreatment technologies, a list of the most attractive products that can be produced from biomass in a biorefinery, and strategies that have already been implemented in different countries around the world.