A review on waste biomass-to-energy: integrated thermochemical and biochemical conversion for resource recovery

Abstract

Improving energy security and lowering greenhouse gas emissions need the utilization of renewable resources like biomass. The production of power, heat, and biofuels from biomass has gained significant attention in the current energy scenario. The current study highlights the developments, advancements, and future possibilities of merging thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes for the manufacture of value-added chemicals and green fuels. While biological processes have extensive processing times and low product yields, thermochemical methods are limited by high processing costs and temperature requirements. The integration of thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes facilitates the circular economy and improves resource usage. Despite the wide range of feasible integration scenarios, the majority of research that is now accessible in the literature concentrates on the developments in thermochemical or biochemical processes as a standalone conversion pathway. The present review aids in gaining a basic understanding of potential routes to unlock pathways for complete biomass conversion. Pyrolysis, as well as hybrid conversion techniques, are the most appealing methods from an economic evaluation standpoint. In this work, a techno-economic analysis of the significant conversion processes has also been presented. Examining the environmental impact and costs of alternative waste conversion processes is necessary when obtaining energy from garbage or biomass. So, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful method for comparing the environmental effects of various waste-to-energy options. To increase the production of biofuels, further research is required in the areas of feedstock pretreatment, catalyst development, and total production system optimization.