Market implementation of integrated biorefinery requires reliable and advanced processing units combined with ecofriendly and economically profitable production chains. Future developments of the biorefinery systems should include either crop cultivation with selected genotypes that maximize full chain performance either the use of marketable agricultural residual biomass and agro-waste. The aim of the present work was to review the main biorefining opportunities of disposable agricultural residues, agricultural co/by-products and agro-wastes into a broad range of green chemicals and high-value added co/by-products valuable in some emerging technological sectors. The current status and future perspectives of conversion starting from agricultural residual biomasses and agro-wastes into highvalue co/by-products, green chemicals and energy recovery by an approach of integrated biorefinery has been considered. After a recognition on nature, origin and European classification of the main categories of organic residuals from crops, forestry, agro-industrial food processing, aquaculture, fisheries and agro-wastes, this paper has focused its challenge on the main biofuel co/by-products associated to the thermochemical and biological conversion processes.The high-value added co/by-products from the biofuel chains related to some chemical basic-platforms (e.g., succinic acid, cellulose, lignin, glycerin, etc.) have been presented and discussed. Then, a special attention towards potential U. De Corato et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review 2 applications of the high-value added co/by-products and green chemicals in three emerging fields (renewable and sustainable farming systems, bioplastic industry and cell and tissue engineering in biomedical applications) for actual and future players has been given and discuss. Finally, this paper has addressed own concern on the actual and potential biorefining opportunities in the EU and in Italy.

This paper investigates the production of ethanol from steam pretreated aspen. The optimal conditions for both the pretreatment and ethanol production were determined. In the former step the parameters investigated were temperature (180-220 °C) and residence time (2-6 min). The most effective combination was 214 °C and 6 min. The exploded substrates were detoxified in three ways, washing with water at 65 °C proving to be the most effective. The substrate was then converted into ethanol via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Influences of the reactor type (shaken flasks and stirred bioreactors) and process parameters (solid-to-liquid ratio, enzyme loading, and stirrer speed) have been investigated. The highest ethanol yield obtained from solid-to-liquid ratios of 0.20 g/g was 85% in shaken flasks and 79% in helical stirred bioreactors. In the former case, the ethanol concentration in the broth was 47 g/L. The fermentation unit returns a solid residue with a calorific value of 5612 kcal/kg. The chemical oxygen demand due to compounds dissolved in the stillage is 28 800 mg of O 2 /L. Test runs were carried out at bench and pilot scales.

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