Abstract:In recent years, bioenergy has become a promising renewable energy source that can potentially reduce the greenhouse emissions and generate economic growth in rural areas. Gaining understanding and controlling biomass chemical composition contributes to an efficient biofuel generation. This paper presents a principal component analysis (PCA) that shows the influence and relevance of selected controllable factors over the chemical composition of switchgrass and, therefore, in the generation of biofuels. The study introduces the following factors: (1) storage days; (2) particle size; (3) wrap type; and (4) weight of the bale. Results show that all the aforementioned factors have an influence in the chemical composition. The number of days that bales have been stored was the most significant factor regarding changes in chemical components due to its effect over principal components 1 and 2 (PC1 and PC2, approximately 80% of the total variance). The storage days are followed by the particle size, the weight of the bale and the type of wrap utilized to enclose the bale. An increment in the number of days (from 75-150 days to 225 days) in storage decreases the percentage of carbohydrates by −1.03% while content of ash increases by 6.56%.Keywords: lignocellulosic biomass; principal component analysis; statistical hypothesis; bioenergy; switchgrass BackgroundBiofuel production is a promising alternative source of energy which provides advantages such as displacement of fossil-based fuels, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, among others [1]. Biofuels can be classified according to the type of biomass utilized as follows: (1) first-generation biofuels are produced from organic sources commonly used as food for human consumption (e.g., sorghum, corn, among others); (2) second-generation biofuels are obtained from a wide range of non-food sources such as agricultural and forest residues, energy crops, and municipal solid waste; and (3) third-generation biofuels commonly refer to biofuels produced from algae [2]. This paper focuses on second-generation biofuels using a type of energy crop (i.e., switchgrass). The production of second-generation biofuels involves activities like harvesting, extracting, transporting and feedstock handling that can be enhanced to improve the biofuel supply chain performance [3,4]. Feedstock logistics play a relevant role in the optimization of the whole supply chain. Identifying factors in logistics operations that affect feedstock properties and its quality helps to improve the production of reliable biofuels.

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