New Sustainable Model of Biorefineries: Biofactories and Challenges of Integrating Bio- and Solar Refineries.
The new scenario for sustainable (low-carbon) chemical and energy production drives the development of new biorefinery concepts (indicated as biofactories) with chemical production at the core, but flexible and small-scale production. An important element is also the integration of solar energy and CO2 use within biobased production. This concept paper, after shortly introducing the motivation and recent trends in this area, particularly at the industrial scale, and some of the possible models (olefin and intermediate/high-added-value chemicals production), discusses the opportunities and needs for research to address the challenge of integrating bio- and solar refineries. Aspects discussed regard the use of microalgae and CO2 valorization in biorefineries/biofactories by chemo- or biocatalysis, including possibilities for their synergetic cooperation and symbiosis, as well as integration within the agroenergy value chain.
Department of Electrical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Engineering (DIECII), Section Industrial Chemistry, University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and CASPE/INSTM, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontras 31, 98166 Messina (Italy).
Salvatore
S
Abate
Department of Electrical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Engineering (DIECII), Section Industrial Chemistry, University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and CASPE/INSTM, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontras 31, 98166 Messina (Italy).
Paola
P
Lanzafame
Department of Electrical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Engineering (DIECII), Section Industrial Chemistry, University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and CASPE/INSTM, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontras 31, 98166 Messina (Italy). perathon@unime.it, centi@unime.it.
Siglinda
S
Perathoner
Department of Electrical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Engineering (DIECII), Section Industrial Chemistry, University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and CASPE/INSTM, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontras 31, 98166 Messina (Italy).
Gabriele
G
Centi
D056804:Biofuels; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012993:Solar Energy; D018511:Systems Integration
D056804:Biofuels
biomass; energy conversion; industrial symbiosis; solar biorefinery; solar energy integration