Biofuels: Current Technology and New Developments

Abstract

The development of production routes for fuels and chemicals from alternative resources (e.g. coal, gas, biomass) is one of the great scientific challenges of the 21st century. Biomass is a particularly interesting resource because it is CO2 neutral and the only renewable source of organic carbon. Different types of biomass and processes for their conversion will be introduced. Biodiesel and bioethanol will be discussed as case studies for processes that are currently operated on a commercial scale. Promising alternatives based on hydrolysis and fermentation, pyrolysis as well as gasification will be presented.