SUMMARY Around the world significant steps are being taken to move from today’s fossil based economy to a more sustainable economy based on biomass. The transition to a bio-based economy has multiple drivers: • the need to develop an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable global economy, • the anticipation that oil, gas, coal and phosphorus will reach peak production in the not too distant future and that prices will climb, • the desire of many countries to reduce an over dependency on fossil fuel imports, so the need for countries to diversify their energy sources, • the global issue of climate change and the need to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and • the need to stimulate regional and rural development. One of the key institutions to accommodate this transition is the IEA Bioenergy Implementation Agreement. Within IEA Bioenergy, Task 42 specifically focuses on Biorefineries; e.g. the co-production of fuels, chemicals, (combined heat &) power and materials from biomass. A key factor in the realisation of a successful bio-based economy will be the development of biorefinery systems allowing highly efficient and cost effective processing of biological feedstocks to a range of bio-based products, and successful integration into existing infrastructure. Although global bio-based chemical and polymer production is estimated to be around 50 million tonnes, the historic low price of fossil feedstocks together with optimized production processes has restricted commercial production of bio-based products. The recent climb in oil prices and consumer demand for environmentally friendly products has now opened new windows of opportunity for bio-based chemicals and polymers. Industry is increasingly viewing chemical and polymer production from renewable resources as an attractive area for investment. Within the bio-based economy and the operation of a biorefinery there are significant opportunities for the development of bio-based building blocks (chemicals and polymers) and materials (fibre products, starch derivatives, etc). In many cases this happens in conjunction with the production of bioenergy or biofuels. The production of bio-based products could generate US$ 10-15 billion of revenue for the global chemical industry. Within IEA Bioenergy Task 42 “Biorefinery” a biorefinery classification method for biorefinery systems was developed. This classification approach relies on four main features which are able to classify and describe a biorefinery system: 1. Platforms (e.g. core intermediates such as C5 -C6 carbohydrates, syngas, lignin, pyrolytic liquid) 2. Products (e.g. energy carriers, chemicals and material products) 3. Feedstock (i.e. biomass, from dedicated production or residues from forestry, agriculture, aquaculture and other industry and domestic sources) 4. Processes (e.g. thermochemical, chemical, biochemical and mechanical processes) The platforms are the most important feature in this classification approach: they are key intermediates between raw materials and final products, and can be used to link different biorefinery concepts and target markets. The platforms range from single carbon molecules such as biogas and syngas to a mixed 5 and 6 carbon carbohydrates stream derived from hemicelluloses, 6 carbon carbohydrates derived from starch, sucrose (sugar) or cellulose, lignin, oils (plant-based or algal), organic solutions from grasses and pyrolytic liquids. These primary platforms can be converted to wide range of marketable products using mixtures of thermal, biological and chemical processes. In this report a direct link is made between the different platforms and the resulting bio-based chemicals. The economic production of biofuels is often a challenge. The co-production of chemicals, materials food and feed can generate the necessary added value. This report highlights all bio-based chemicals with immediate potential as biorefinery ‘value added products’. The selected products are either demonstrating strong market growth or have significant industry investment in development and demonstration programmes. The report introduces companies actively developing bio-based chemicals and polymers and provides Information on potential greenhouse gas emissions savings and how the co-production of bio-based chemicals with biofuels can influence the economics of biofuels production.

Biobased plastics have experienced fast growth in the past decade thanks to the public concerns over the environment, climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels. This perspective provides an overview of the current global market of biobased plastics, their material properties, technical substitution potential and future market (for 2020). In addition, the technology and market development of three biobased plastics, namely polylactide (PLA), biobased polyethylene (PE) and biobased epoxy resin, are discussed in detail. The emerging biobased plastics market is still small compared to traditional biobased polymers and biomaterials. The global capacity of the emerging biobased plastics was only 0.36 million tonnes in 2007. However, the market grew strongly between 2003 and 2007 (approx. 40% per year). The technical substitution potential of biobased plastics replacing petrochemical plastics is estimated at 90%, demonstrating the enormous potential of biobased plastics. Global capacity of biobased plastics is expected to reach 3.45 million metric tonnes in 2020. Starch plastics, PLA, biobased PE, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and biobased epoxy resin are expected to be the major types of biobased plastics in the future. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Around the world, significant able steps are being taken to move from today’s fossil-based economy to a more sustainable economy based on biomass. A key factor in the realization of a successful bio-based economy will be the development of biorefinery systems allowing highly efficient and cost-effective processing of biological feedstocks to a range of bio-based products, and successful integration into existing infrastructure. The recent climb in oil prices and consumer demand for environmentally friendly products has now opened new windows of opportunity for bio-based chemicals and polymers. Industry is increasingly viewing chemical and polymer production from renewable resources as an attractive area for investment. Within the bio-based economy and the operation of a biorefinery, there are significant opportunities for the development of bio-based building blocks (chemicals and polymers) and materials (fiber products, starch derivatives, etc.). In many cases this happens in conjunction with the production of bioenergy or biofuels. The production of bio-based products could generate US$10–15 billion of revenue for the global chemical industry. The economic production of biofuels is often a challenge. The co-production of chemicals, materials food and feed can generate the necessary added value. This paper highlights all bio-based chemicals with immediate potential as biorefinery ‘value added products’. The selected products are either demonstrating strong market growth or have significant industry investment in development and demonstration programs. The full IEA Bioenergy Task 42 report is available from http://www.iea-bioenergy.task42-biorefineries.com.

Since the first issue of the IEA Bioenergy Task 42 report on bio-based chemicals in 2011, the importance of a circular economy has become evident. In the transition to a circular economy, chemicals and materials produced from biomass will play a key role. Given the tremendous focus on climate and actions to mitigate climate change, steps are being taken to move from today’s fossil-based economy to a more sustainable economy based on renewable energy, biomass and recycling. The transition to a bio-based circular economy has multiple drivers as well as requirements; The need to develop an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable circular global economy The desire of many countries to reduce an over dependency on fossil fuel imports by diversifying their energy sources The global issue of climate change and the need to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions That processes and products are “Safe by Design” That chemicals and materials are designed for cost-, material- and energy-efficient recycling The “End of Life” solution of the products is equal to or preferably better than the incumbent products And deployment of biorefineries in rural areas will stimulate regional and rural development One of the key institutions to drive this transition to a more sustainable bio-based economy is the IEA Bioenergy implementation agreement. Within IEA Bioenergy, Task 42 specifically focuses on Biorefining in a Circular Economy; e.g. the co-production of fuels, chemicals, (combined heat &) power and materials from biomass. A key factor in the deployment of a successful bio-based economy will be the development of biorefinery systems allowing highly efficient and cost effective processing of biological feedstocks into a range of bio-based products, and successful integration into existing infrastructure. This report shows that the global bio-based chemical and polymer production is estimated to be around 90 million tonnes. However, the relatively low price of fossil feedstocks as well as its volatility together with optimized fossil-based production processes has hampered the acceleration of the commercial production of bio-based products as projected in the previous bio-based chemicals report from 2011. In addition to increased recycling, enlarged chemical and polymer production from renewable resources is an essential part of the transition to a circular economy. As is evident from this report, not many major chemical players are actively pursuing this approach and that deployment over the last several years has been much slower than expected. Nevertheless, within the bio-based economy as a whole and within the operation of a specific biorefinery there are significant opportunities for the development of bio-based building blocks (chemicals and polymers) and materials (fibre products, starch derivatives, etc.). In many cases this happens in conjunction with the production of bioenergy or biofuels. It is estimated that the production of bio-based products, in addition to biofuels, could generate US$ 10 billion of revenue for the global chemical industry. However, current market conditions, uncertainty about trade agreements, future carbon pricing as well as a non-holistic and polarised bioeconomy debate have hampered the deployment as well as the role-out of biobased initiatives.

Until recently, most of energy and industrially produced chemicals were derived from fossil fuel-based resources. This along with the continued depletion of finite fossil resources and their attributed adverse environmental impacts, alternatively sourced and more sustainable resources are being pursued as feedstock replacements. Thus, biomass has been identified as an alternate renewable and more sustainable resource as a means to reduce this sector's dependence on fossil fuel-based resources and to alleviate their environmental impacts. As such, lignocellulosic biomass has been further identified and demonstrated as an abundant renewable resource for the production of biofuels, platform chemicals, and their respective value-added products. This review article provides an overview of the techniques developed for the valorization of biomass in the production of platform chemicals within a biorefinery, and the status for commercialization.

The demand for petroleum dependent chemicals and materials has been increasing despite the dwindling of their fossil resources. As the dead-end of petroleum based industry has started to appear, today's modern society has to implement alternative energy and valuable chemical resources immediately. Owing to the importance of lignocellulosic biomass for being the most abundant and bio-renewable biomass on earth, this critical review provides insights into the potential of lignocellulosic biomass as an alternative platform to fossil resources. In this context, over 200 value-added compounds, which can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass by using various treatment methods, are presented with their references. Lignocellulosic biomass based polymers and their commercial importance are also reported mainly in the frame of these compounds. The review article aims to draw the map of lignocellulosic biomass derived chemicals and their synthetic polymers, and to reveal the scope of this map in today's modern chemical and polymer industry.

According to estimates from the International Energy Agency, global energy consumption will increase by at least one third, between 2010 and 2035. The additional power required will be provided not only by fossil sources but also by renewables. While the world energy matrix is supplied only by 13.2% from renewable sources, Brazil has different scenery with renewables accounting for 42.4% of the energy matrix. This work aimed to evaluate the potential use of oleaginous in biorefineries considering the produced quantity, prices, and costs of raw materials and products. Considering the availability of these raw materials, the results showed significant opportunities that can be exploited in Brazil, within the biorefinery concept. Soybean oil is the main raw material for biodiesel production in Brazil, although there are many other vegetable oils with potential for this purpose. Related to the production costs, the soybean biodiesel has higher costs than diesel. Then, this biofuel is only produced due to Brazilian regulatory rules and public subsidies. In order to become this production favorable in the market environment, it is essential to aggregate value to all byproducts and residues generated along the biodiesel production chain. Glycerin is a byproduct of biodiesel that could be used, in a glycerol biorefinery concept, as raw material for the production of value-added products through chemical, biochemical, or thermochemical routes.

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Crude glycerol (C3H8O3) is a major by-product of biodiesel production from vegetable oils and animal fats. The increased biodiesel production in the last two decades has forced glycerol production up and prices down. However, crude glycerol from biodiesel production is not of adequate purity for industrial uses, including food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The purification process of crude glycerol to reach the quality standards required by industry is expensive and dificult. Novel uses for crude glycerol can reduce the price of biodiesel and make it an economical alternative to diesel. Moreover, novel uses may improve environmental impact, since crude glycerol disposal is expensive and dificult. Glycerol is a versatile molecule with many potential applications in fermentation processes and synthetic chemistry. It serves as a glucose substitute in microbial growth media and as a precursor in the synthesis of a number of commercial intermediates or fine chemicals. Chlorinated deriv...