Biofuel from plant biomass

Abstract

Plant biomass can be used for multiple forms of bioenergy, and there is a very large potential supply, depending on which global assessment is most accurate in terms of land area that could be available for biomass production. The most suitable plant species must be identified before the potential biomass production in a particular region can be quantified. This in turn depends on the degree of climatic adaptation by those species. In the range of climates present in New Zealand, biomass crop growth has less restriction due to water deficit or low winter temperature than in most world regions. Biomass production for energy use in New Zealand would be best utilised as transport fuel since 70 % of the country's electricity generation is already renewable, but nearly all of its transport fossil fuel is imported. There is a good economic development case for transport biofuel production using waste streams and biomass crops. This review identified the most suitable crop species and assessed their production potential for use within the climatic range present in New Zealand. Information from published work was used as a basis for selecting appropriate crops in a 2year selection and evaluation process. Where there were knowledge gaps, the location-specific selections were further evaluated by field measurements. The data presented have superseded much of the speculative information on the suitability of species for the potential development of a biofuel industry in New Zealand.

The prospects of Jerusalem artichoke in functional food ingredients and bioenergy production

“…The ethanol yield is equivalent to that of sugarcane and twice that obtained from corn. These characteristics make Jerusalem artichoke an outstanding substrate for ethanol production [18] , [19] , [117] , [118] , [119] , and it has recently been listed as one of the most promising energy crops in China, Europe and New Zealand [4] , [120] , [121] , [122] . Generally, there are two routes for bioethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke tubers: (1) separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and (2) simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) as shown in Fig.…”

“…Therefore, significant academic and industrial activities are focused on identifying abundant biomass sources and/or developing crops that are less competitive with conventional crops in terms of water, land and nutrient requirements. The availability and application of biomass sources are region-dependent and it is therefore essential to identify plant species suitable to local cultivation conditions to increase the economic viability of biomass production [4] , [5] , [6] . Two commonly cited examples of successful transition to a bioeconomy include bioethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil and biodiesel production from non-edible Jatropha oil in South Asia; however, these species cannot be applied readily to North America without considering the degree of climatic adaptation [7] , [8] , [9] .…”

Effects of three endophytic entomopathogens on sweet sorghum and on the larvae of the stalk borer Sesamia nonagrioides

“…There is a growing interest in alternative and low‐cost energy sources and in promising crops with high biomass and sugar yields (Kerckhoffs & Renquist, ). Among them, sweet sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (Poaceae), a C 4 crop, receives special attention because its stalk contains significant amounts of sugars convertible to liquid biofuels (Zegada‐Lizarazu & Monti, ).…”

Bioenergy Production from Bamboo: Potential Source from Malaysia’s Perspective

“…Comprehensive reviews have been published by O'Keefe et al (2014) and Kerckhoffs and Renquist (2013) on potential grasses and herbaceous plants in Europe and New Zealand that can be used as feedstock for biofuel production. Bamboo is a member of the grass family (Poaceae) and has great potential for use as feedstock for biofuel production.…”