The Green Biorefi nery (GBR) is a complex and full-integrated system of environment-and resource-protecting technologies for comprehensive material and energetic use of green biomasses. GBR's are multiproduct systems and perform and produce in accordance with the physiology of the corresponding plant material preserving and using the diversity of the synthesis generated by nature. In addition to the general biorefi nery concept, GBR's are based strongly on sustainable principles (sustainable land use, sustainable raw materials, gentle technologies, autarkic energy supply, etc.). Existing agricultural structures of the green crop processing industry, such as green crop drying plants, offer good opportunities for the implementation of biorefi nery technologies that will help overcoming energy-intensive and partially obsolete technologies, such as the thermal drying of feedstock. Accordingly, the primary fractionation of green biomasses and the integrated production of proteins, fermentation media, animal feed, and biogas was projected and will be realized in a demonstration facility directly linked to the existing green crop drying plant, Selbelang, in Havelland (Germany, state Brandenburg, 50 km west of Berlin). The primary refi nery will have an annual capacity of 20 000 tons alfalfa and grass biomass and can be diversifi ed in modules for the production of platform chemicals and synthesis gas.We discuss the processes, products, operating costs and climate protection effects through examination of the basic engineering of the primary refi nery. The production site and planned demonstration facility are also presented.

The demand for biomass-derived fuels and fuel additives, particularly in the transportation sector, has stimulated intense research efforts in the chemistry of levulinic acid and levulinic acid secondary products over the past decade. Additionally, recent technological progress in lignocellulosic feedstock (LCF) chemistry has also increased attention in this regard. As a result, several oxygenating fuel additives with potential applications in both gasoline and diesel fuels have been identified. Some of the chemicals, such as ethyl valerate, appear to be viable alternatives to the currently used branched, short-chain ethers that are derived from side products of petrol refining. Cost-effective applications of lignocellulosic biomass are a crucial aspect of its feasibility. In consideration of the LCF biorefinery concept, the feasibility must also include the chemical pulping of LCF and the comprehensive utilisation of its main constituents cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. The present study focuses on cellulose and hemicelluloses as viable sources for the production of biofuels and biofuel additives. Multifunctional catalysis, including hydrogenation and acid catalysis are the primary instruments used for the conversion of the monomeric carbohydrate building blocks, i.e., mainly C5 sugars, such as xylose and arabinose, and C6 sugars in the form of glucose and their respective secondary products, furfural and levulinic acid. Lignin utilisation is not addressed in this paper.

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Primary processing of oil-containing material involves pre-treatment processes, oil recovery processes and the extraction and valorisation of valuable compounds from waste streams. Pre-treatment processes, e.g. thermal, enzymatic, electrical and radio frequency, have an important effect on the oil recovery, quality of oil, extraction possibility and quality of valuable compounds from waste streams. Apart from these methods, dehulling, i.e. the separation of the coats from the seeds, can be regarded as a first and indispensable step. To extract and market proteins at an industrial scale, as long as water extraction remains in the domain of research and development, it will be necessary to dehull the seeds before oil extraction in order to extract the proteins and improve the valorisation of these crops. The state-of-the-art of the recovery of (residual) oil from olive, rapeseed and sunflower by-products is reported. The three crops are described with regard to structure, by-products from the oil production and the applied extraction methods. Alternatives for hexane extraction, such as water, iso-propyl alcohol, gas-assisted extraction or supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, could improve the potential of the different oil-bearing crops. The extraction of amino acids and/or protein fractions, which forms the main fraction in the press cakes is described. Also, the possibilities of the production of levulinic acid from the lignocellulosic parts of the crops are investigated.