Biofuels are identified as the potential solution for depleting fossil fuel reserves, increasing oil prices, and providing a clean, renewable energy source. The major barrier preventing the commercialization of lignocellulosic biorefineries is the complex conversion process and their respective...

This paper presents a generic approach for selecting sustainability criteria and indicators (C&I) by using a participatory methodology. Selecting appropriate C&I to assess the sustainability of projects or developments is crucial and significantly influences the assessment results. The...

Energy is an indispensable part of modern society and can serve as one of the most important indicators of socio-economic development. Despite advancements in technology, however, some three billion people, primarily in the rural areas of developing countries, continue to meet their energy needs...

Biomass based energy generation is one of the major focus areas of renewable energy programs in India. The strength of India's biomass resources mostly lies in the agricultural sector. A large quantity of crop residue biomass is generated in India. However, crop residue biomasses are distributed...

According to the renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC, the European Union Member States should increase by 2020 the use of renewable energy to 20% of gross final energy consumption and to reach a mandatory share of 10% renewable energy in the transport sector. This study aims to quantify the...

This paper assesses the learning potential of dedicated wood production systems to boost yields and reduce production costs. In particular, the paper analyses past trends and provides a future outlook of developments in dedicated wood production for three cases: eucalyptus production in Brazil,...

The increasing prices and environmental impacts of fossil fuels have made the production of biofuels to reach unprecedented volumes over the last 15 years. Given the increasing land requirement for biofuel production, the assessment of the impacts that extensive biofuel production may cause to...

This paper presents and analyses international solid biofuel trade and concludes upon interactions with bioenergy policies and market factors. It shows that trade has grown from about 56 to 300PJ between 2000 and 2010. Wood pellets grew strongest, i.e. from 8.5 to 120PJ. Other relevant streams...

Forest chips are becoming an important alternative resource for energy in Europe. The aim of this study is to review and analyze the current procurement methods and potentials of forest chips in Europe, based on questionnaires sent to relevant experts in different countries as well as a...

Bioenergy production from agricultural crop biomass or residues is gaining interest due to the escalating cost of fossil fuels and the need to mitigate global warming caused by increasing GHG emissions. Of all the different feed stocks used for bioenergy production in Africa, cassava biomass...