Sugarcane biorefineries: potential opportunities towards shifting from wastes to products

Author(s)

Freitas, V, Juliana ; Bilatto, Stanley ^[1] ; Squinca, Paula ^{[1, 2]} ; Pinto, Ariane S. S. ^{[1, 2]} ; Brondi, Mariana G. ^{[1, 2]} ; Bondancia, Thalita J. ^{[1, 2]} ; Batista, Gustavo ^[2] ; Klaic, Rodrigo ^{[1, 2]} ; Farinas, Cristiane S. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Freitas, Juliana, V, Embrapa Instrumentat, Rua Xv Novembro 1452, BR-13561206 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Freitas, Juliana, V, Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Grad Program Chem Engn, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS; v. 172, NOV 15 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Biorefining involves the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable food and feed in-gredients, bio-based products (chemicals and materials), and bioenergy (biofuels, power, and/or heat). The processing of sugarcane is a successful example of renewable bioenergy being produced on a large industrial scale. As the world largest crop by production quantity, around 1907 millions of tons of sugarcane were globally produced last year. Currently, most of the sugarcane mills produce first generation (1 G) ethanol, sugar, and energy from the burning of bagasse. However, the use of part of the sugarcane bagasse to produce second generation (2 G) ethanol is beginning to move towards an industrial reality. The 2 G ethanol process itself also generates several side-streams, which could be further used to obtain high added-value products. Integrated 1 G-2 G biorefineries, where the whole sugarcane biomass is converted to bioenergy and a suite of bio-based products, can be an attractive investment option for a future scenario of a low-carbon economy. The purpose of this review is to gather together the most recent technologies that have been developed to enable the whole use of feedstocks, byproducts, and side-streams within the sugarcane biorefinery. Possible ways to improve the efficiency of biomass processing are discussed, such as the use of low-cost additives, together with the economic and environmental aspects related to the implementation of a sugarcane biorefinery. Potential applications of sugarcane bagasse and straw to obtain valuable products including enzymes, biofertilizers, nanocellulose and lignin-derived commodities are presented as opportunities to improve the attractiveness of this business model. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/10636-8 - From the cell factory to the Biodiesel-Bioethanol integrated biorefinery: a systems approach applied to complex problems in micro and macroscales
• Grantee: Roberto de Campos Giordano
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/25261-8 - Nanocellulose production from marine macroalgae of Alagoas coast through the enzymatic route: obtention, characterization and economic feasibility
• Grantee: Cristiane Sanchez Farinas
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/21173-1 - Mitigation of inhibitors generated in the pre-treatment of vegetal biomass: technical-economic-environmental impact of different processing routes in the biorefinery
• Grantee: Ariane Silveira Sbrice Pinto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/10899-4 - Utilization of residual lignocellulosic biomass from 2G ethanol processing to obtain nanocellulose via enzymatic route
• Grantee: Stanley Endrigo Bilatto Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral