Agriculture, forestry, land use &#039;other&#039; products en Biorefinery <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-teaser-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <a href="/technology/bioref" class="imagefield imagefield-nodelink imagefield-field_teaser_image"><img class="imagefield imagefield-field_teaser_image" width="450" height="309" title="Biorefining conversion routes" alt="&amp;copy; ClimateTechWiki and respective owners" src="" /></a> </div> </div> </div> <p>With the surge in bio-based activities around the globe, a new concept called bio-refining starts to emerge. IEA Bioenergy <a href="" rel="nofollow">Task 42</a> on Biorefineries defines biorefining as “the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products and energy”. A bio-refinery combines/integrates a series of biomass conversion technologies to produce a range of products and (base-)materials, such as food, feed, chemicals, materials, oil, gas, heat and/or electricity.</p><div class="field field-type-text field-field-introduction"> <div class="field-label">Introduction:&nbsp;</div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p>The specific technological configuration of a biorefinery can differ from case to case as it is highly dependent on local circumstances, such as agricultural practices and climatic variations. Such factors determine the type, quality and quantity of the feedstock that is available for processing. Possible feedstocks that can be used in a bio-refinery are, sugar beets, black liquor, wheat, corn, wood, agricultural residues, sugar cane, surplus food, straw, aquatic biomass, but also the biomass fraction of municipal and other types of waste (MSW), etc. The main product groups of a biorefinery are: chemicals, biofuels, electricity &amp; heat, materials (fibres, starch, wood), food and feed, minerals, CO<sub>2</sub>, and H<sub>2</sub>O.</p><p>[media:image:1]</p><p>Aside from mechanical biomass cultivation and processing technologies (e.g. harvesting, milling and pressing), there are two main routes for bio-refining.</p><p>1)&nbsp;Technologies like a.o. pyrolysis and gasification are so-called thermochemical processes. Here a combination of heat, pressure in the absence of oxygen cause for the chemical breakdown of the biomass feedstock into a number of biocomponents, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractives. These bio-components can then be further processed into commercial products.</p><p>2)&nbsp;(Bio)chemical conversion uses chemicals and/or microorganisms (e.g. enzymes) to establish the desired breakdown process of the biomass feedstock into various components. Relevant technologies here are a.o. <a href="" rel="nofollow">hydrolysis</a>, <a href="" rel="nofollow">fermentation</a> and <a href="" rel="nofollow">digestion</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-references"> <div class="field-label">References:&nbsp;</div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <ul><li>IEA Bioenergy Task 42 on ‘Biorefineries’, <a href="" rel="nofollow"></a></li><li>Various technology descriptions on <a href=""></a></li><li>R.W.R. Zwart, 2006, ‘Biorefinery The worldwide status at the beginning of 2006’</li><li>EC, 2009, ‘Directive <a href="" rel="nofollow">2009/28/EC</a> of the European Parliament and the council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources’</li><li>R. van Ree and B. Annevink, 2007, ‘Status Report Biorefinery 2007’</li><li>D. King, et al., 2010, ‘The Future of Industrial Biorefineries’ white paper for the World Economic Forum</li><li><a href="" rel="nofollow"></a></li><li><a href="" rel="nofollow"></a></li><li><a href="" rel="nofollow"></a></li><li><a href="" rel="nofollow"></a></li><li><a href="" rel="nofollow"></a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Agriculture Energy supply and consumption (excl. industry) Harvested Wood Products Large scale - long term Large scale - short term Small scale - long term Biological Treatment of Solid Waste Chemical Industry Incineration and Open Burning of Waste Agriculture, forestry, land use 'other' products Biomass Electricity Petrochemical and Carbon Black Production Industry: energy consumption, industrial processes, and product use Waste management Waste Agriculture, forestry and other land use Waste Quality Assurance Website Quality Assurance Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:24:37 +0000 Eise Spijker 5271 at