Biorefining is the co-production of a spectrum of bio-based products (food, feed, materials, chemicals) and energy (fuels, power, heat) from biomass [definition IEA Bioenergy Task 42].
A
biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and value-added chemicals from
biomassBiomass, a renewable energy source, is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce heat. For example, forest residues , yard clippings and wood chips may be...
. The
biorefinery concept is analogous to today's petroleum refinery, which produce multiple fuels and products from
petroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
.
By producing multiple products, a
biorefinery takes advantage of the various components in biomass and their intermediates therefore maximizing the value derived from the biomass feedstock.
Biorefining is the co-production of a spectrum of bio-based products (food, feed, materials, chemicals) and energy (fuels, power, heat) from biomass [definition IEA Bioenergy Task 42].
A
biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and value-added chemicals from
biomassBiomass, a renewable energy source, is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce heat. For example, forest residues , yard clippings and wood chips may be...
. The
biorefinery concept is analogous to today's petroleum refinery, which produce multiple fuels and products from
petroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
.
By producing multiple products, a
biorefinery takes advantage of the various components in biomass and their intermediates therefore maximizing the value derived from the biomass feedstock. A biorefinery could, for example, produce one or several low-volume, but high-value, chemical or
nutraceuticalNutraceutical, a combination of nutrition and pharmaceutical, refers to extracts of foods claimed to have a medicinal effect on human health. Traditionally the nutraceutical was contained in a medicinal format such as a capsule, tablet or powder in a prescribed dose, although more modern...
products and a low-value, but high-volume liquid transportation fuel such as
biodieselBiodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
or bioethanol (see also
alcohol fuelAlthough fossil fuels have become the dominant energy resource for the modern world, alcohol has been used as a fuel throughout history. The first four aliphatic alcohols are of interest as fuels because they can be synthesized biologically, and they have characteristics which allow them to be...
). At the same time generating electricity and process heat, through
combined heat and powerCombined Heat and Power may refer to:* Cogeneration* Combined Heat and Power Solar...
(CHP) technology, for its own use and perhaps enough for sale of electricity to the local utility. The high-value products increase profitability, the high-volume fuel helps meet energy needs, and the power production helps to lower energy costs and reduce
greenhouse gasGreenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The main greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions from traditional power plant facilities. Although some facilities exist that can be called bio-refineries, the bio-refinery has yet to be fully realized. Future biorefineries may play a major role in producing chemicals and materials that traditionally produced from
petroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
.
Several potential biorefinery examples have been proposed, starting from feedstocks such as
tobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines. In consumption it most commonly appears in the forms of smoking, chewing, snuffing, or...
,
flaxFlax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent. This is called as Agasi/Akshi in Kannada, Jawas/Javas or Alashi in Marathi...
straw and the residues from the production of bioethanol.
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