Lignocellulosic biomass valorisation: a review of feedstocks, processes and potential value chains and their implications for the decision-making process

Abstract

Several studies have reported the importance of transforming the current fossil-based economy into a bio-economy. Lignocellulosic biomass, as the most abundant renewable feedstock, has high potential. However, in practice, its use is limited to energy generation. This study aims to provide an overview of the potential lignocellulosic valorisation pathways and identify the next steps that should be taken to move towards a bio-economy. The study reviews the lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks and their compositional differences, depending on the type, valorisation processes, and value chains that can be created by selecting the respective valorisation processes. The study shows the abundance of pathways that can be created when attempting to link lignocellulosic biomass with a high diversity of compositions to the many potential end-products that can be created. Due to this abundance, selecting the optimal biomass-end-product combinations for the development of a sustainable bio-economy is challenging. Current state-of-the-art process-based assessment methods (TEA/LCA) have limited genericity, as they are only valid for specific processes at a specific time and place. As a result, using these types of assessments to try to find optimal biomass-end-product combinations would require too much time, data, and expertise. This creates the need to shift away from process-based assessments to state-based assessments, where the path of least thermodynamic resistance is sought.