4 A. Klitkou et al.
industries. A further classification is based on the applied technology: biochemical or thermochemical (based on gasification and/or pyrolysis). A third
classification distinguishes between the main intermediate products produced
in the biorefinery, such as syngas, sugar and lignin. Biorefineries must be
optimised for the efficient use of bio- resources, energy use and recovery of
valuable compounds, such as proteins and phosphorus. In the Scandinavian
context, all these resource streams are valuable, but straw and stover might,
due to the structure of the Danish agricultural sector, be more important for
Denmark than for Norway and Sweden. Forestry residues have been
exploited by biorefinery companies, such as Borregaard in Norway and
Domsjö in Sweden. Biorefineries not only enable the replacement of fossil
resources with renewable, organic resources in the production of materials
and chemicals, but also allow for the production of new types of materials
with different qualities to those of fossil- based materials.
When assessing the sustainability of biological treatment and biorefining
processes, there are several elements to consider: (1) the mobilisation of
waste and residue streams from the agricultural, forestry and food sectors;
(2) technological options for converting biomass into biomaterials and bioenergy; and (3) the sustainability of bio- based products compared to
traditional products (Kretschmer, Buckwell, Smith, Watkins & Allen, 2013).
Food waste, crop and forest residues have significant potential as bio- resources
since they offer a range of potential energy outputs from 1.55 to 5.56 EJ per
year. The majority (over 90%) of this potential energy output is offered by
crop and forest residues. The extent of biomass- based products on the market
is influenced by three factors: feedstock availability and its price, market
demand and investment decisions, which again are influenced by the maturity
of the chosen technology and its economic viability.
When assessing the sustainability of bio- based products, Kretschmer et al.
(2013) stress two issues for analysis: efficient use of biomass resources, incl.
residues and waste, and greenhouse gas emission effects. LCAs can provide an
evaluation of the sustainability of bio- based products. When analysing the
effects of greenhouse gas emission, the consequences of diverting residues
from previous uses (straw and forest residues) must be considered. While the
replacement of fossil fuels by first- generation biofuels can be assessed as unsustainable, the massive deployment of advanced biofuels from forestry and agricultural residues can also have unintended environmental consequences and
lead to new path dependencies. A resource- efficient use of biomass is not
only related to replacing energy crops by using agricultural and forestry residues, but also to the cascading use of these bio- resources, which implies a shift
from high volumes towards lower volumes, and from low added value to
high added value.
industries. A further classification is based on the applied technology: biochemical or thermochemical (based on gasification and/or pyrolysis). A third
classification distinguishes between the main intermediate products produced
in the biorefinery, such as syngas, sugar and lignin. Biorefineries must be
optimised for the efficient use of bio- resources, energy use and recovery of
valuable compounds, such as proteins and phosphorus. In the Scandinavian
context, all these resource streams are valuable, but straw and stover might,
due to the structure of the Danish agricultural sector, be more important for
Denmark than for Norway and Sweden. Forestry residues have been
exploited by biorefinery companies, such as Borregaard in Norway and
Domsjö in Sweden. Biorefineries not only enable the replacement of fossil
resources with renewable, organic resources in the production of materials
and chemicals, but also allow for the production of new types of materials
with different qualities to those of fossil- based materials.
When assessing the sustainability of biological treatment and biorefining
processes, there are several elements to consider: (1) the mobilisation of
waste and residue streams from the agricultural, forestry and food sectors;
(2) technological options for converting biomass into biomaterials and bioenergy; and (3) the sustainability of bio- based products compared to
traditional products (Kretschmer, Buckwell, Smith, Watkins & Allen, 2013).
Food waste, crop and forest residues have significant potential as bio- resources
since they offer a range of potential energy outputs from 1.55 to 5.56 EJ per
year. The majority (over 90%) of this potential energy output is offered by
crop and forest residues. The extent of biomass- based products on the market
is influenced by three factors: feedstock availability and its price, market
demand and investment decisions, which again are influenced by the maturity
of the chosen technology and its economic viability.
When assessing the sustainability of bio- based products, Kretschmer et al.
(2013) stress two issues for analysis: efficient use of biomass resources, incl.
residues and waste, and greenhouse gas emission effects. LCAs can provide an
evaluation of the sustainability of bio- based products. When analysing the
effects of greenhouse gas emission, the consequences of diverting residues
from previous uses (straw and forest residues) must be considered. While the
replacement of fossil fuels by first- generation biofuels can be assessed as unsustainable, the massive deployment of advanced biofuels from forestry and agricultural residues can also have unintended environmental consequences and
lead to new path dependencies. A resource- efficient use of biomass is not
only related to replacing energy crops by using agricultural and forestry residues, but also to the cascading use of these bio- resources, which implies a shift
from high volumes towards lower volumes, and from low added value to
high added value.