Renewable Energy: Biomass and Waste Technology

Flashcards on Circular Bioeconomy and Related Concepts

Circular Economy Principles

Maintaining the value of products for as long as possible and following the waste hierarchy.

Circular Bioeconomy

Optimizing the value of biomass over time for economic or environmental reasons, considering the three pillars of sustainability.

Bioeconomy (EU Commission, 2012)

Production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value-added products, such as food, feed, bio-based products, and bioenergy

Aims of the bioeconomy

Securing worldwide food supply, producing healthy and safe food, creating sustainable agricultural production, expanding energy carriers based on biomass, using renewable resources industrially, and driving the societal transformation to a sustainable economy.

Cascading use of biomass

Sequential use of resources for different purposes to optimize resource utilization.

Integrated biorefineries

Sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products (food, feed, materials, chemicals) and energy (fuels, power, heat)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A collection of 17 goals set by the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Bioeconomy and SDGs

Bioeconomy monitoring and evaluation can be coupled with reporting on SDGs, particularly in economic development, access to food security, and sustainable consumption.

Mesa sucroalcoholera Argentina

A case study involving cane sugar, bioethanol, and energy from vinasses & bagasse

United States Bioplastics Case Study

Converting methane residual biogas to bioplastics using a biocatalyst.

China Biofertilizer Case Study

Alternatives to burning straw by converting crop residues into biofertilizer and biogas.

India Biofuel Case Study

Towards second generation of biofuel using cellulose and crop residues.

Seaweed value addition (Tanzania)

Using Seaweed to produce Food, Soap scented with spices, Body cream and Carrageenan gel.

Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG) Biorefinery

Integrated design based on spent coffee grounds to obtain dry natural extract, dry natural pigment, biogas, digestate, and electrical energy.