
Biofuels and Sustainability
Life Cycle Assessments, System Biology, Policies, and Emerging Technologies
- 1st Edition - October 16, 2024
- Imprint: Woodhead Publishing
- Editors: Daochen Zhu, Mudasir Ahmad Dar, Mohd. Shahnawaz
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 1 4 3 3 - 2
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 1 4 3 4 - 9
Biofuels and Sustainability: Life-cycle Assessments, System Biology, Policies, and Emerging Technologies presents the current progress and challenges related to the sustainab… Read more

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Request a sales quoteBiofuels and Sustainability: Life-cycle Assessments, System Biology, Policies, and Emerging Technologies presents the current progress and challenges related to the sustainability of biofuels. Addressing a wide range of issues, the book examines the methods and technologies, policies for sustainable biofuels, impacts of advanced fuels, recent advances, and future research prospects. Reflecting new developments, emphasis is given to new biological/biochemical approaches that offer the most efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable strategies for biofuel production.
Divided into five parts, the first provides an overview of biofuels, the need for alternate fuels, carbon footprints, life cycle assessments, environmental aspects, various generations of biofuels, biofuel production from lignocellulosic material, and artificial intelligence in biofuel production. Part 2 examines the various methods and technologies for biofuels production, with case studies from the USA, UK, and Brazil. Part 3 explores the policies for sustainable biofuels, including current standards, with applications from the USA, European Union, Asia, and Africa. Part 4 analyses the impacts of advanced fuels in the decarbonization of transport, climate change mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and water resources, with perspectives from developed and developing countries. Finally, Part 5 critically reviews the recent advances and future research prospects related to termites, insects, metabolic engineering, microorganisms, and bioreactors.
- Provides carbon footprints and lifecycle assessments of biofuel and bioproduct production from 2nd and 3rd generation feedstocks and compliance with the international standards
- Highlights the emerging applications of systems biology in biofuel and bioenergy production, including biomimetics and protein engineering
- Analyzes the sustainable production of biofuels at various stages, such as feedstock production, biomass pre-treatment and novel bioprospection
- Explains the technological challenges of biofuel production, designing novel bioreactors, and value-added processing of biofuel residues
- Discusses and analyses biofuel and bioenergy policies from various countries and various regions of the world
- Biofuels and Sustainability
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Front Matter
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contributors
- About the editors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Part I: Overview of biofuels
- Chapter 1 A perspective on the emergence and need of alternate fuels
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 1.1 Introduction
- 1.2 Description of some important alternate fuels
- 1.2.1 Green hydrogen
- 1.2.2 Synthetic fuels
- 1.2.3 Biofuels
- 1.3 Challenges for alternate fuels
- 1.4 Policy support for alternate fuels by major producing economies
- 1.4.1 United States
- 1.4.2 Brazil
- 1.4.3 European Union (EU)
- 1.4.4 China
- 1.4.5 India
- 1.5 Prospects for alternate fuels
- 1.6 Closing thoughts
- References
- Chapter 2 Environmental aspects of biofuels used as sustainable energy resources: Current situation and future trends
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 2.1 Introduction
- 2.2 Environmental effects of biofuels
- 2.3 Consequences of biofuel production on the environment
- 2.4 Soil contamination from biodiesel
- 2.5 The way to the next-generation of biofuels
- 2.5.1 Global warming potential of biofuels
- 2.5.2 Impact of chemical pretreatment on biomass
- 2.6 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 3 Drawbacks of first-generation biofuels: Challenges and paradigm shifts in technology for second- and third-generation biofuels
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 3.1 Introduction
- 3.2 First-generation biofuels and their drawbacks
- 3.2.1 First-generation biodiesel
- 3.2.2 Starch-derived bioethanol (first-generation biofuel)
- 3.2.3 First-generation bioethers
- 3.3 Limitations of first-generation biofuels
- 3.4 Second-generation biofuels
- 3.4.1 Second-generation bioethanol
- 3.4.2 Second-generation biobutanol
- 3.5 Algal fuel or third-generation biofuels
- 3.6 Emergence of fourth-generation biofuels
- 3.7 Conclusions and future outlook
- References
- Chapter 4 Preprocessing of lignocellulosic waste for biofuels production
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 4.1 Introduction
- 4.2 Bibliometric analysis of lignocellulosic waste to biofuels
- 4.3 Composition and structure of lignocellulose
- 4.4 Feedstock of lignocellulose to biofuel
- 4.5 Pretreatment methods used for processing lignocellulosic biomass
- 4.6 Conclusions and perspectives
- References
- Part II: Methods and technologies
- Chapter 5 Nanobiotechnology in biofuel production and implementation
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 5.1 Introduction
- 5.2 Application of nanotechnology in biofuel productions: Bioethanol, biohydrogen, biodiesel
- 5.2.1 Effects of fossil fuels on organisms and the environment
- 5.3 Advances in nanobiotechnology for biofuel production
- 5.3.1 Carbon nanotubes
- 5.3.2 Magnetic nanoparticles
- 5.3.3 Acid functionalized nanoparticles
- 5.3.4 Metallic nanoparticles
- 5.3.5 Metal-oxide nanoparticles
- 5.4 Factors influencing nanoparticle function in biofuel production processes
- 5.4.1 Synthesis approaches
- 5.4.2 Nanoparticle synthesis temperature
- 5.4.3 Nanoparticle synthesis pressure
- 5.4.4 Nanoparticle synthesis pH
- 5.4.5 Size of nanoparticles
- 5.5 Conclusions and future perspectives
- References
- Chapter 6 A holistic approach toward the maximum conversion of lignocellulose into biofuels
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 6.1 Introduction
- 6.1.1 Need for biofuels
- 6.1.2 Lignocellulosic biofuels: Background and relevance
- 6.1.3 Properties of lignocellulose
- 6.1.4 Lignocellulose conversion into a biochemical substance
- 6.1.5 Challenges in lignocellulosic biomass conversion
- 6.2 Lignocellulosic biomass: Composition and structure
- 6.2.1 Conversion of lignocellulose into biochemical substance
- 6.3 Pretreatment techniques for biomass fractionation
- 6.3.1 Physical pretreatment methods
- 6.3.2 Chemical pretreatment methods
- 6.3.3 Biological pretreatment methods
- 6.4 Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass
- 6.5 Fermentation of released sugars to biofuels
- 6.5.1 Microorganisms for biofuel production
- 6.5.2 Fermentation processes
- 6.6 Technological advances in lignocellulosic biofuel production
- 6.6.1 Biorefinery concept and integration
- 6.6.2 Consolidated bioprocessing
- 6.6.3 Biocatalysts and genetic engineering
- 6.6.4 Process optimization and scale-up
- 6.7 Life cycle assessment and challenges of biofuels for sustainability
- 6.8 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 7 Methodology for the evaluation of the potential of solid biofuels, their environmental impacts, and applications in end-use technologies in developing countries
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 7.1 Introduction
- 7.2 Toward a comprehensive methodology for solid biofuels
- 7.2.1 Analysis of biomass waste production
- 7.2.2 Characterization of biomass waste
- 7.2.3 Available energy potential
- 7.2.4 Guidelines for the management of solid biofuels
- 7.2.5 Identification of end-use technologies
- 7.3 Final remarks
- References
- Chapter 8 Targeting lignin as a substrate for future biorefinery
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 8.1 Introduction
- 8.2 LCB
- 8.3 Lignin
- 8.3.1 Structural composition of lignin
- 8.3.2 Lignin extraction
- 8.3.3 Lignin first biorefinery approach
- 8.3.4 Lignin as platform chemical
- 8.4 Lignin pyrolysis
- 8.4.1 Lignin gasification
- 8.5 Lignin depolymerization
- 8.5.2 Oxidative depolymerization
- 8.5.3 Acid-catalyzed lignin depolymerization
- 8.5.4 Base-catalyzed lignin depolymerization (BCLD)
- 8.6 Potential applications of a lignin biorefinery
- 8.6.1 Carbon fiber
- 8.6.2 Benzene, toluene, xylene (BTX) formation
- 8.6.3 Marine oil production
- 8.6.4 Gasoline and jet fuels
- 8.7 Conclusions
- References
- Chapter 9 Using systems biology to exploit the resources/natural reservoirs for biofuel production
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Acknowledgments
- 9.1 Introduction
- 9.2 Potential of systems biology in biofuel production
- 9.2.1 The role of functional genomics in metabolic engineering for biofuel production
- 9.3 Analyzing metabolic pathways for biofuel production
- 9.3.1 Carbon concentration metabolism
- 9.3.2 Carbohydrate metabolism
- 9.3.3 Lipid metabolism as a promising resource for biodiesel production
- 9.4 Designing synthetic cyanobacterial hosts for improved biofuel production
- 9.5 Driving toolboxes in synthetic biology of cyanobacteria
- 9.5.1 Inducible promoters
- 9.5.2 RBS
- 9.5.3 Vectors
- 9.6 Optimization of system biology for biofuel production
- 9.6.1 GSMM
- 9.6.2 Genome editing
- 9.6.3 Metabolic engineering
- 9.6.4 Coculture systems
- 9.7 Importance and challenges of biofuel production
- 9.8 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 10 Exploiting the gut bacteria for the production of biofuels from lignocellulose
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 10.1 Introduction
- 10.1.1 Lignocellulose and biofuels
- 10.1.2 Hydrolysis of lignocellulose
- 10.1.3 Biofuel production
- 10.2 Lignocellulose-degrading enzymes from gut bacteria
- 10.2.1 Ruminants
- 10.2.2 Other vertebrates
- 10.3 Future prospects of lignocellulolytic enzymes from gut bacteria
- 10.4 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 11 Rumen microbiota: Potential biocatalyst for biofuels
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Acknowledgment
- 11.1 Introduction
- 11.2 Ruminant microorganisms and their role in biofuel production
- 11.3 Biocatalytic method for biofuel production
- 11.4 Future perspective and applications
- 11.5 Conclusion
- References
- Part III: Policies for sustainable biofuels
- Chapter 12 Economics and guidelines for the production of biofuels in the United States
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 12.1 Introduction
- 12.2 Worldwide interest in biofuel production
- 12.3 Types of biofuels available
- 12.4 Biofuel economies of scale
- 12.5 Global scenarios concerning biofuels
- 12.6 Key feedstock for biofuel production
- 12.7 Classifications of biofuels
- 12.8 Broad classification of biofuels
- 12.9 Advantages and challenges of biofuel
- 12.10 Policy consideration and biofuel Investment in the United States and other countries
- 12.11 Guidelines associated with biofuel production from different generations of feedstock
- 12.12 Present challenges and future perspectives
- References
- Chapter 13 European Union guidelines for the production of different generations of biofuels
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 13.1 Introduction
- 13.2 Global issues of biofuel production
- 13.3 EU guidelines for biofuel production
- 13.4 Summary and conclusions
- References
- Chapter 14 African countries' regulations and guidelines for the production of biofuels: A quality control analysis of Uganda
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Acknowledgments
- 14.1 Introduction
- 14.2 Theoretical underpinning
- 14.3 Methodology
- 14.3.1 Qualitative comparative analysis
- 14.3.2 Data collection
- 14.4 Results and discussion
- 14.4.1 Necessary conditions
- 14.4.2 Necessary conditions under fuzzy set QCA
- 14.4.3 Necessary conditions under crisp set QCA (fsQCA)
- 14.5 Sufficiency conditions
- 14.5.1 Transactional cost attribute is a sufficient condition for the commercialization of biofuel products
- 14.6 Conclusion and recommendation
- 14.6.1 Unlocking bounded rationality
- 14.6.2 Enhancing research on biofuel innovation to deal with uncertainty
- 14.6.3 Policy initiatives to address uncertainty
- 14.6.4 Supporting the capitalization of mini start-up biorefineries
- 14.7 Conclusion
- 14.8 Areas for further research
- References
- Chapter 15 Hindrances and drawbacks of the existing policies and roadmap for sustainable production of biofuels: An Indian scenario
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 15.1 Energy demands and projections of green energy
- 15.1.1 Contemporary global outlook on biofuels
- 15.2 Biofuel and its challenges over time
- 15.2.1 Feedstock requirements
- 15.3 Approaches to drive biofuel development
- 15.3.1 Biofuel production process
- 15.3.2 Pretreatment techniques
- 15.4 Historical perspectives: Biofuel legislation in India
- 15.5 Developing a roadmap for sustainable biofuel policies
- 15.6 Key constraints and other challenges
- 15.7 Conclusions and future perspective
- References
- Part IV: Impact of advanced biofuels
- Chapter 16 Impact of advanced biofuels to promote decarbonized transport
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 16.1 Introduction
- 16.2 Importance of biofuels
- 16.3 Production of biodiesel through transesterification reactions
- 16.4 Growth in the manufacturing of clean biofuels
- 16.4.1 Types of catalysts
- 16.4.2 Biodiesel production using CaO nanocatalysts
- 16.5 Impact of CaO nanocatalyst on the transesterification process
- 16.6 Future recommendations and information gaps
- 16.7 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 17 Impact of advanced biofuels on climate change
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 17.1 Introduction
- 17.2 Advanced biofuel production strategies with regard to climate change
- 17.3 Advanced biofuels and their impact on greenhouse gases
- 17.4 Impact on water
- 17.4.1 Impact on water quality
- 17.4.2 Eutrophication and other associated impacts
- 17.5 Impact on land
- 17.6 Conclusions
- References
- Chapter 18 Impact of advanced biofuels on water resources
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 18.1 Introduction
- 18.2 Advanced biofuels and their growing importance in the renewable energy landscape
- 18.3 Role of water resources in bioenergy production
- 18.4 The interconnectedness between advanced biofuels and water resources
- 18.5 Biofuel production techniques: Water requirements
- 18.6 Average water consumption per unit of biofuel production
- 18.7 Technological advancements to reduce water use in biorefinery
- 18.8 Water contamination and its consequences for biorefinery
- 18.9 Strategic management of water for biofuel production
- 18.10 Concept of circular economy for biofuel production
- 18.11 Role of national and international agencies in water management for advanced biofuels
- 18.12 Future trends and challenges
- 18.13 Promoting a sustainable synergy: Ongoing research and innovation in advanced biofuels and water resource management
- References
- Chapter 19 The impact of developed countries advanced biofuel production on developing countries
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Conflict of interest
- 19.1 Introduction to advanced biofuel production
- 19.2 Overview of developed countries’ advanced biofuel programs
- 19.3 The potential benefits of advanced biofuel production
- 19.4 Positive impact of developed countries’ biofuel production
- 19.4.1 Economic implications for developing countries
- 19.4.2 Developing countries and their environment
- 19.4.3 Developing countries—Effects on culture and social set-up
- 19.5 Issues faced by developing countries in adopting advanced biofuel techniques
- 19.6 Mitigating measures for minimizing undesirable effects on developing countries
- 19.6.1 International cooperation and policy frameworks
- 19.6.2 Expertise transfer and capacity building
- 19.6.3 Economic support and venture opportunities
- 19.7 Case studies
- 19.7.1 Brazil
- 19.7.2 Indonesia
- 19.7.3 Kenya
- 19.7.4 Thailand
- 19.8 Conclusions toward a sustainable and inclusive biofuel industry
- References
- Part V: Recent advances and future research prospects
- Chapter 20 Can termites serve as models for future biorefinery?
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 20.1 Introduction
- 20.2 Bibliometric analysis
- 20.3 Lignocellulosic biorefinery
- 20.4 Natural biomass utilization systems
- 20.5 Termites and their economic importance
- 20.6 The gut system of termites
- 20.7 Symbiosis of termites with gut microbiota
- 20.8 Termites are a treasure trove of lignocellulolytic microbes
- 20.8.1 Bacterial symbionts of termites
- 20.8.2 Protist symbionts of termites
- 20.8.3 Fungal symbionts of termites
- 20.9 Potential role of termite microbial symbiosis for future biorefinery
- 20.10 Conclusions and future perspectives
- References
- Chapter 21 Nontermite insects as biomimetic models to advance the production of second- and third-generation biofuels
- Abstract
- Keywords:
- 21.1 Introduction
- 21.2 Insects as model systems
- 21.3 Digestive system of wood-feeding insects
- 21.4 Insect gut as reservoir of microbes
- 21.4.1 Lignocellulase activity of insect gut systems
- 21.5 Insect-microbial symbiosis for lignocellulose valorization
- 21.5.1 Insect-bacteria symbiosis for cellulose digestion
- 21.5.2 Ligninolytic bacteria in nontermite insects
- 21.5.3 Chitinolytic bacteria of insects other than termites
- 21.5.4 Insect-fungal symbiosis
- 21.5.5 Insect protozoa symbiosis for lignocellulose degradation
- 21.6 Inspiration from the insect-microbial symbiosis: Biomimetic models
- 21.7 Conclusion
- 21.8 Future prospects
- References
- Chapter 22 Metabolic engineering and designing of the novel biomass species for enhanced production of biofuels
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 22.1 Introduction
- 22.1.1 Different biomass for biofuel production
- 22.2 Plant-based biomass
- 22.3 Metabolic engineering of plant biomass
- 22.4 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 23 Metabolic engineering of Ogataea polymorpha for biofuel production
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Conflict of interest
- 23.1 Introduction
- 23.2 Extremophilic strains as biofuel producers
- 23.2.1 Bioethanol
- 23.2.2 Biodiesel
- 23.2.3 Biobutanol fermentation
- 23.3 Bioengineering of extremophiles
- 23.3.1 Metabolic engineering
- 23.4 Limitations and challenges
- 23.5 Future prospects
- 23.6 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 24 Design of the novel bioreactors for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulose into bioethanol
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 24.1 Introduction
- 24.2 Biochemical foundations of lignocellulosic bioethanol
- 24.2.1 Lignocellulosic biomass composition
- 24.2.2 Enzymatic hydrolysis pathways
- 24.2.3 Bioethanol production by fermentation
- 24.3 Bioreactor engineering principles
- 24.3.1 Traditional bioreactor configurations
- 24.3.2 Limitations of traditional designs
- 24.3.3 Necessity for innovation in bioreactor design
- 24.4 Conclusion
- References
- Chapter 25 Microbial production of biofuels: An insight into cocultivation, challenges, and future prospects
- Abstract
- Keywords
- 25.1 Introduction
- 25.2 Microalgae: A treasure trove for biofuel production
- 25.3 Microalgal cocultivation systems
- 25.4 Method of microalgal cocultivation
- 25.4.1 Photoautotrophic cultivation
- 25.4.2 Heterotrophic cultivation of microalgae
- 25.4.3 Mixotrophic cultivation of microalgae for bioenergy production
- 25.4.4 Photoheterotrophic cultivation
- 25.5 Cocultivation strategies of microalgae for biofuel production
- 25.5.1 Microalgae-microalgae
- 25.5.2 Microalgae-fungi
- 25.5.3 Microalgae-yeast
- 25.5.4 Microalgae-bacteria
- 25.6 Growth factors necessary for microalgae coculture
- 25.7 Challenges, recommendations, and future perspectives of cocultivation
- References
- Index
- Edition: 1
- Published: October 16, 2024
- Imprint: Woodhead Publishing
- No. of pages: 488
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780443214332
- eBook ISBN: 9780443214349
DZ
Daochen Zhu
MD
Mudasir Ahmad Dar
MS