Review on Bioenergy Storage Systems for Preserving and Improving Feedstock Value

Abstract

Long-term storage is a necessary unit operation in the biomass feedstock logistics supply chain, enabling biorefineries to run year-round despite daily, monthly, and seasonal variations in feedstock availability. At a minimum, effective storage approaches must preserve biomass. Uncontrolled loss of biomass due to microbial degradation is common when storage conditions are not optimized. This can lead to physical and mechanical challenges with biomass handling, size reduction, preprocessing, and ultimately conversion. This review summarizes the unit operations of dry and wet storage and how they may contribute to preserving or even improving feedstock value for biorefineries.

Putting Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage in a Spatial Context: What Should Go Where?

“…Although, there are potential limitations in scaling up bioenergy and BECCS facilities to the required level to meet Net-Zero from what is currently available due to limited biomass supply and limited operational timeframes. These limitations may be circumvented with the recent advances in pre-treatment techniques and dry biomass storage systems to prolong the operational timeframes of the facilities and secure biomass supply (Victorin et al, 2020;Wendt and Zhao, 2020). Future analysis exploring the implications of multiple smaller decentralized BECCS facilities with reduced operational timeframes may also reveal potential pathways for BECCS deployment.…”

Extrapolation of design strategies for lignocellulosic biomass conversion to the challenge of plastic waste

“…Biomass composition varies substantially according to species (Chi et al., 2019 ), but is also impacted by growth conditions (Dennison et al., 2019 ; Templeton et al., 2009 ) and storage conditions (Smith et al., 2020 ; Towey et al., 2019 ; Wendt & Zhao, 2020 ) of the harvested biomass. Similar to the challenge of contaminants in mixed plastic wastes, harvested biomass often contains sand and soil, the presence of which can negatively impact biomass hydrolysis, often requiring the addition of a process step for their removal (Horhammer et al., 2018 ).…”

Anaerobic Storage and Conversion of Microalgal Biomass to Manage Seasonal Variation in Cultivation

“…Ensiling has been reviewed extensively for its role of biomass preservation in forage systems 10−12 as well as in bioenergy systems. 13 A recent advancement in the area is the use of ensiling to preserve microalgae. Microalgae have successfully been preserved under these conditions when it is blended with herbaceous biomass 14,15 and additionally when it is stored alone in its dewatered state (20% solids).…”

“…2 However, dry matter losses can be reduced to less than 10% in microalgae that undergo ensiling, which is comparable to losses experienced during ensiling of herbaceous biomass. 13 Biochemical conversion approaches rely on these carbohydrates for fermentation to value-added fuels and chemicals including ethanol, 8 succinate, 9 or butyrate. 16,17 Dilute acid treatment hydrolyzes complex carbohydrates to their monomeric form, followed by fermentation of the hydrolysate to fuels and chemicals.…”

“…The process, commonly referred to as ensiling in the forage literature, relies on creation of anaerobic conditions and subsequent formation of lactic acid to lower pH and stabilize the biomass. Ensiling has been reviewed extensively for its role of biomass preservation in forage systems − as well as in bioenergy systems . A recent advancement in the area is the use of ensiling to preserve microalgae.…”