Strategies for the Mobilization and Deployment of Local Low-Value, Heterogeneous Biomass Resources for a Circular Bieconomy

The European Bioeconomy Strategy aims to strengthen and boost biobased sectors, unlocking investments and markets while rapidly deploying local bioeconomies across Europe and improving compliance with environmental and social sustainability goals. Current biomass provision structures and infrastructure might not be able to tap the sustainable potential of forestry-, agricultural residues and biogenic waste envisaged forming the biogenic feedstock base of the Circular Bioeconomy of tomorrow. Therefore, for the present paper, we assess mobilization strategies, their current status, opportunities, and barriers for local low value and heterogenous biomass resources. Based on discussions with bioenergy supply chain experts, we cluster mobilization measures into three assessment levels; the legislative framework, market structures and technological innovation. Scientific literature research on the respective keywords is performed, the European policy landscape mapped, and the results are enriched with anecdotal evidence, especially for recent and running projects and market developments that lack in published track records. We can identify research needs on all three assessment levels. Still, technological development and legislative frameworks are providing support for heterogeneous biomass mobilization. Market creation, however, represents a bottleneck. We provide novel perspectives, how physical- and virtual bio-hubs and crediting stake- and shareholder variety could create added-value based on sustainable primary economic activities and their cascading activities.

Biomass gasification of carbonaceous feedstock for syngas production: A Review

Biomass is a renewable energy’s most abundant source which includes anything from energy crops or agricultural residue or forestry falls and animal (biogenic) waste. The biomass can be used to produce various products or can be used as an energy source, but utilization of these energy sources should be effective and efficient so the conversion process should be economical, so that it can compete in the market filled from fossil fuel derived products. This paper discusses about the different types of conversion process and the uses of the biomass derived products.

Biogenic and Non-Biogenic Waste Utilization in the Synthesis of 2D Materials (Graphene, h-BN, g-C2N) and Their Applications

There is a significant amount of waste generated which creates a huge environmental issue for humanity/earth and a tremendous number of varieties of resources of a different kind are needed globally. In this context, nanoscience technology has shown its potential ability to solve the above issues and provides realistic applications and devices. The beauty of nanotechnology is its multidisciplinary approach, in which green nanotechnology has been translated to focus on waste materials. Waste materials are generally generated from biogenic (rice husk, dead leaves, waste food, etc.) and non-biogenic (several types of plastics waste, lard oil, etc.) materials produced from municipal or industrial waste. Currently, a large number of efforts have been made to utilize the waste materials for the synthesis of 2D materials in a greener way. This green synthetic approach has two advantages 1) it reduces the cost of synthesis and 2) includes minimal use of hazardous chemicals. Biogenic wastes (contains biomolecules) contain several significant constituents such as co-enzymes, enzymes, proteins, terpenoids, etc. These constituents or biomolecules are known to play an energetic role in the formation of a different variety of 2D materials and hence control the protocols of green synthesis of 2D materials. This review focuses on the exploration of the current understanding of 2D-layered material synthesis methods using waste material produce from biogenic and non-biogenic waste. It also investigates the applications of various 2D-layered materials in perspective with synthesis from waste and future challenges along with their limitations to industrial-scale synthesis.

Business Models for Negative Emissions From Waste-to-Energy Plants

Negative emissions of carbon dioxide will likely be needed to meet the <2°C warming above the pre-industrial level goal of the Paris Agreement. A major technology option is combining Biomass Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) in the industry and power sectors. Biogenic waste contributes a major share for the numerous waste-to-energy plants around the world. This implies that adding a CCS facility to a waste-to-energy plant could establish a value chain for negative carbon dioxide emissions. Hence a waste-to-energy plant could deliver four services to society: waste management and avoided pollution, service district heating system, remove carbon dioxide from fossil-based waste categories, and generate negative carbon dioxide emissions from biogenic waste. A major barrier to deploying Bio-CCS at a waste-to-energy plant is a high investment and operation cost for the carbon dioxide capture plant, combined with lacking reward for the negative carbon dioxide emissions. In this paper I explore promising business models that could incentivize owners of waste-to-energy plants to install CCS facilities, assuming that government has established an infrastructure for transportation and permanent storage of carbon dioxide, as well as the basic framework for accounting for negative emissions. The business models are either founded on waste renovation customers being able and willing to pay for the additional cost of producing negative emissions of carbon dioxide directly or through certificates, or investments in CCS being incentivized by government through a guaranteed price or tax rebates for negative emissions of carbon dioxide.

Chemical storage of hydrogen in synthetic liquid fuels: building block for CO2-neutral mobility

Green hydrogen is anticipated to play a major role in the decarbonization of the mobility sector. Its chemical storage in CO2-neutral synthetic liquid fuels is advantageous in terms of safety and reliability compared to other hydrogen storage developments, and thus represents a complementary building block to developments in electric and hydrogen mobility for the low-carbon transition in the mobility sector. Its development is especially relevant for transport sectors which will have no alternatives to liquid fuels in the foreseeable future. In this paper, three alternative technological routes for the chemical storage of hydrogen in CO2-neutral synthetic liquid fuels are identified and comparatively evaluated in terms of feedstock potential, product potential, demand for renewable electricity and associated costs, efficiency as well as expected market relevance. While all three routes exhibited similar levels of overall efficiencies, electricity-based liquid fuels in Germany are currently limited by the high cost and limited supply of renewable electricity. In contrast, liquid fuels generated from biogenic waste have a constant supply of biogenic feedstock and are largely independent from the supply and cost of renewable electricity.