High-value low-volume bioproducts coupled to bioenergies with potential to enhance business development of sustainable biorefineries

摘要

Economically feasible production of conventional bioenergies such as biofuels, biopower and bioheat is a challenge in biorefineries because they have to compete with inexpensive fossil fuel energies while external production costs are rarely included into the present-day policies. Biomass consists of unique complex chemical structures that cannot be easily artificially synthesized and may be beneficially employed in varidus practical applications. Therefore, strategies relying on complete biomass disintegration through combustion, gasification or fermentation only to simple usable bioenergies do not lead to optimal utilization of biomass feedstock. Instead, cascading approaches are required in order to maximize biomass valorization. Conseqtiently, high value low-volume bioproducts coupled to bioenergies with potential to improve economic viability of biorefineries and biomass resource utilization are urgently required. Integrated production of bioenergies and bioproducts may be achieved by coupling existing biofuel plants with hew bioindustries, by retrofitting existing bioindustries with new bioenergy facilities or by erecting completely new integrated facilities.