About this Research Topic
Transforming to a fully decarbonized society across key energy sectors such as transport, electricity and heat is a huge challenge in the strive to attain a sustainable future. Advanced biofuels are flexible energy vectors that can play a significant role in the future energy system. When combined with carbon capture and storage, bioenergy may offer potential solutions to provide negative carbon emissions and create opportunities for more sustainable energy pathways. As biofuel sustainability criteria becomes more stringent under evolving legislation, the integration of key technologies such as anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, gasification, and power to gas, along with advanced feedstocks such as algae will become imperative. Cascading approaches to energy generation and the development of novel products in a circular bioeconomy is an emerging research area of significant merit.
Numerous technologies including biological and thermochemical processes can transform biomass to bioenergy in the form of biogas, biohydrogen, bioethanol and other liquid biofuels.
Despite the significant role of bioenergy in a future energy system, the deployment of bioenergy may encounter problems from the perspectives of production efficiency, sustainability and economic viability. This Research Topic aims to delve into the latest advances for biofuels production through bio- and thermo-chemical approaches with particular interest on innovative and novel deployment methods that are being investigated in both the fundamental and applicable fields. The ultimate objective is to gain insight into such biofuel production technologies and promote economically feasible biofuels which are of sufficient sustainability to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The Topic Editors encourage submissions of original research articles, short communications, industrial and country/region case studies, and review articles. This Research Topic covers but is not limited to the following concepts:
• Novel pre-treatment methods (e.g. hydrothermal, ionic liquid, deep eutectic solvent, etc.) for biomass for the biological production of biofuels
• Biological technologies (e.g. dark/photo fermentation, anaerobic digestion) for biofuel production
• Biological methanation for biogas upgrading in in-situ and ex-situ systems
• Thermochemical technologies (e.g. hydrothermal carbonization, pyrolysis and gasification) for biofuel and materials production (e.g. biochar)
• Cascading bioenergy systems and circular economy pathways for sustainable biofuel production by integrating biological and thermochemical technologies
• Novel utilization of valuable resources (e.g. biochar) derived from biomass
• Techno-economic (e.g. cost-benefit analysis) and environmental sustainability (e.g. life-cycle assessment) of advanced biofuels
Numerous technologies including biological and thermochemical processes can transform biomass to bioenergy in the form of biogas, biohydrogen, bioethanol and other liquid biofuels.
Despite the significant role of bioenergy in a future energy system, the deployment of bioenergy may encounter problems from the perspectives of production efficiency, sustainability and economic viability. This Research Topic aims to delve into the latest advances for biofuels production through bio- and thermo-chemical approaches with particular interest on innovative and novel deployment methods that are being investigated in both the fundamental and applicable fields. The ultimate objective is to gain insight into such biofuel production technologies and promote economically feasible biofuels which are of sufficient sustainability to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The Topic Editors encourage submissions of original research articles, short communications, industrial and country/region case studies, and review articles. This Research Topic covers but is not limited to the following concepts:
• Novel pre-treatment methods (e.g. hydrothermal, ionic liquid, deep eutectic solvent, etc.) for biomass for the biological production of biofuels
• Biological technologies (e.g. dark/photo fermentation, anaerobic digestion) for biofuel production
• Biological methanation for biogas upgrading in in-situ and ex-situ systems
• Thermochemical technologies (e.g. hydrothermal carbonization, pyrolysis and gasification) for biofuel and materials production (e.g. biochar)
• Cascading bioenergy systems and circular economy pathways for sustainable biofuel production by integrating biological and thermochemical technologies
• Novel utilization of valuable resources (e.g. biochar) derived from biomass
• Techno-economic (e.g. cost-benefit analysis) and environmental sustainability (e.g. life-cycle assessment) of advanced biofuels
Keywords: Advanced biofuels, Circular economy, Biogas, Biochar, Techno-economic analysis
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
