Developing the Global Bioeconomy: Technical, Market, and Environmental Lessons from Bioenergy

Developing the Global Bioeconomy: Technical, Market, and Environmental Lessons from Bioenergy brings together expertise from three IEA-Bioenergy subtasks on pyrolysis, international trade, and biorefineries to review the bioenergy sector and draw useful lessons for the full deployment of the bioeconomy.

Despite the vast amount of politically driven strategies, there is little understanding on how current markets will transition towards a global bioeconomy. The question is not only how the bioeconomy can be developed, but also how it can be developed sustainably in terms of economic and environmental concerns. To answer this question, this book’s expert chapter authors seek to identify the types of biorefineries that are expected to be implemented and the types of feedstock that may be used.

They also provide historical analysis of the developments of biopower and biofuel markets, integration opportunities into existing supply chains, and the conditions that would need to be created and enhanced to achieve a global biomass trade system that could support a global bioeconomy. As expectations that a future bioeconomy will rely on a series of tradable commodities, this book provides a central accounting of the state of the discussion in a multidisciplinary approach that is ideal for research and academic experts, and analysts in all areas of the bioenergy, biofuels, and bioeconomy sectors, as well as those interested in energy policy and economics.

• Examines the lessons learned by the bioenergy industry and how they can be applied to the full development of the bioeconomy
• Explores different transition strategies and how the current fossil based and future bio-based economy are intertwined
• Reviews the status of current biomass conversion pathways
• Presents an historical analysis of the developments of biopower and biofuel markets, integration opportunities into existing supply chains, and the conditions that would need to be created and enhanced to achieve a global biomass trade system

• Language: English
• Publisher: Academic Press
• Release date: May 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9780128052907

Book preview

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Chapter 1

Bioeconomy Strategies

J.R. Hess¹, P. Lamers¹, H. Stichnothe², M. Beermann³ and G. Jungmeier³,    ¹Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, United States,    ²Thünen Institute of Agricultural Technology, Braunschweig, Germany,    ³Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz, Austria

Abstract

Facing a shortage of petrochemicals in the long term, biomass is expected to be the main future feedstock for chemicals, including liquid transportation fuels. Currently, biomass is mainly used for food, feed, and material purposes; only a small fraction is used in energy conversion (ie, heating/cooling, power, or transport fuels). The bioeconomy has been referred to as the set of economic activities that relate to the invention, development, production and use of biological products and processes. The transition from an economy based on fossil raw materials to a bioeconomy, obtaining its raw materials from renewable biological resources requires concerted efforts by international institutions, national governments, and industry sectors, and prompts for the development of bioeconomy policy strategies. However, there is still little understanding on how current markets will transition towards a national and essentially global bioeconomy. This joint analysis brings together expertise from three IEA Bioenergy subtasks: Task 34 on Pyrolysis, Task 40 on International Trade and Markets, and Task 42 on Biorefineries. The underlying hypothesis is that bioeconomy market developments can benefit from lessons learned and developments observed in bioenergy markets. The question is not only how the bioeconomy can be developed, but also how it can be developed sustainably in terms of economic and environmental concerns. The strength of bringing three IEA Bioenergy subtasks into this analysis is found in each task’s area of expertise. Tasks 34 and 42 identify the types of biorefineries that are expected to be implemented and the types of feedstock that may be used. Task 40 provides complementary work including a historical analysis of the developments of biopower and biofuel markets, integration opportunities into existing supply chains, and the conditions that would need to be created and enhanced to achieve a biomass supply system supporting a global bioeconomy.

Keywords

Bioeconomy; biobased economy; bioenergy; IEA Bioenergy

Contents

1.1 Introduction 2

1.2 Status of Bioeconomy Strategies in IEA Bioenergy Member Countries 3

1.3 Scope, Objective, and Outline 7

References 9

1.1 Introduction

Reducing and replacing the utilization of fossil resources is among the most critical challenges in transforming the current energy supply system and consumption patterns (IEA, 2014; IPCC, 2014). Although the exploration of unconventional fossil resources (shale gas, tar sand, etc.) has expanded the spectrum of exploitable resources, fossil resources remain finite and are not readily renewable. The observed increase in global mean surface temperature over the past decades is very likely due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (IPCC, 2007, 2014). It is generally assumed that GHG-induced climate change can be mitigated by efficiency improvements, sequestration of CO2, and by shifting from fossil primary energy resources to a variety of renewable resources (Trainer, 2010). Facing a shortage of petrochemicals in the long term, biomass is expected to be the main future feedstock for chemicals, including liquid transportation fuels (Langeveld et al., 2010). Currently, biomass is mainly used for food, feed, and material purposes; only a small fraction is used in energy conversion (ie, heating/cooling, power, or transport