About this Research Topic
Sustainable bioenergy production has been gaining importance worldwide. Solid wastes and their safe disposal are a big issue and a heavy burden in today's societies. When utilized appropriately, they can minimize adverse environmental effects and health problems. Solid wastes rich in organic substances have massive potential for bioenergy production. Bioenergy is a versatile and economically viable option with low carbon emissions that promotes carbon neutrality and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. Solid organic wastes are inherently renewable, abundant, flexible and inexpensive raw materials and have the potential to address many current issues linked with increasing energy demand, climate change, pollution, and energy security.
Various traditional and advanced technologies, such as mechanical, chemical, thermochemical, biochemical, and bioelectrical, are used to convert solid waste into bioenergy and biofuels. Its utilization is reportedly inexpensive and does not compete with the ever-growing demand for food and fodder. However, energy recovery from these solid wastes has many technical challenges, such as efficient organic waste segregation, bioenergy conversion processes, availability of potential microbial strains, and process optimization, which must be adequately addressed. Researchers are trying to develop systematic strategies to efficiently convert solid biowaste into bioenergy. Worldwide, emerging tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and artificial intelligence (AI) are placed to investigate environmentally sustainable processes, integrate social and economic benefits, and quantify the environmental impacts of bioenergy production from various solid bio-waste materials.
This Research Topic aims to address pivotal aspects of solid waste biomass conversion into bioenergy, mainly focused on advances in chemical, biochemical, bio-electrochemical and thermochemical pretreatment processes, including gasification, liquefaction, and pyrolysis anaerobic digestion, alcoholic fermentation and photobiological hydrogen production taking into consideration the challenges, benefits and environmental impacts of these technological processes. We encourage submissions on the themes including but not limited to:
• Bioenergy and biofuel production from solid waste containing organic material
• Advances in the mechanical conversion of solid biowaste to briquettes and pellets based on size, moisture content, drying surface area
• Advances in biochemical pretreatment and saccharification technologies of solid biowaste to produce fermentable sugars
• Advances in traditional fermentation and electro-fermentation technology technologies for bioethanol, biobutanol and biohydrogen production
• Advances in thermo-chemical technologies, i.e. torrefaction, gasification, liquefaction, pyrolysis and plasma gasification of solid waste to biochar, bio-oil, and syngas
• Advances in the utilization of solid waste and algal biomass, and other lipids to produce biodiesel via transesterification
• Advances in anaerobic digestion/biogas technologies for solid waste conversion to bioenergy, novel microbial strains, process design and optimization
• Advances in the conversion of biosolid waste to bioenergy through bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), nanotechnology, genetic and metabolic engineering approaches
• Circular economy concept, sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA), and artificial intelligence (AI), integrated biorefinery system for zero-emission for environmental protection
Various traditional and advanced technologies, such as mechanical, chemical, thermochemical, biochemical, and bioelectrical, are used to convert solid waste into bioenergy and biofuels. Its utilization is reportedly inexpensive and does not compete with the ever-growing demand for food and fodder. However, energy recovery from these solid wastes has many technical challenges, such as efficient organic waste segregation, bioenergy conversion processes, availability of potential microbial strains, and process optimization, which must be adequately addressed. Researchers are trying to develop systematic strategies to efficiently convert solid biowaste into bioenergy. Worldwide, emerging tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and artificial intelligence (AI) are placed to investigate environmentally sustainable processes, integrate social and economic benefits, and quantify the environmental impacts of bioenergy production from various solid bio-waste materials.
This Research Topic aims to address pivotal aspects of solid waste biomass conversion into bioenergy, mainly focused on advances in chemical, biochemical, bio-electrochemical and thermochemical pretreatment processes, including gasification, liquefaction, and pyrolysis anaerobic digestion, alcoholic fermentation and photobiological hydrogen production taking into consideration the challenges, benefits and environmental impacts of these technological processes. We encourage submissions on the themes including but not limited to:
• Bioenergy and biofuel production from solid waste containing organic material
• Advances in the mechanical conversion of solid biowaste to briquettes and pellets based on size, moisture content, drying surface area
• Advances in biochemical pretreatment and saccharification technologies of solid biowaste to produce fermentable sugars
• Advances in traditional fermentation and electro-fermentation technology technologies for bioethanol, biobutanol and biohydrogen production
• Advances in thermo-chemical technologies, i.e. torrefaction, gasification, liquefaction, pyrolysis and plasma gasification of solid waste to biochar, bio-oil, and syngas
• Advances in the utilization of solid waste and algal biomass, and other lipids to produce biodiesel via transesterification
• Advances in anaerobic digestion/biogas technologies for solid waste conversion to bioenergy, novel microbial strains, process design and optimization
• Advances in the conversion of biosolid waste to bioenergy through bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), nanotechnology, genetic and metabolic engineering approaches
• Circular economy concept, sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA), and artificial intelligence (AI), integrated biorefinery system for zero-emission for environmental protection
Keywords: Carbon neutrality, Solid waste, Bioenergy, Organic material, Technology advances, Sustainability, Zero-emission, Circular bioeconomy, Life Cycle Assessment
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.
