Plants as Sources of Energy

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with biotechnological applications involving the use of plants as sources of energy. Plants contain stored carbon captured from light-catalyzed carbon dioxide fixation via photosynthesis. This stored carbon from plants is available in oil and coal deposits that can be used as energy sources known as petrofuels. Living plants or plant residues can be used to generate biofuels such as methane from methane generators, wood fuel from wood chips, and alcohol from plant-based starch or cellulose in fermentation reactions. Topics that illustrate these applications include plant-based biofuels for engines -biodiesel and bioethanol; energy from woodchips (woodchip combustion, gazogen, or wood gasification); and methane (CH 4 ) or natural gas -methane gas production from landfills, methane gas produced in biodigesters using plant materials as substrate. We discuss the pros and cons of these applications with plant-derived fuels as well as the different types of value-added crops, including algae, that are currently being used to produce biofuels.

Bioenergy Potentials of Elephant Grass, Pennisetum purpureum Schumach

“…Apart from the extracts, the elephant grass bagasse can be used as feedstock for the production of cellulosic ethanol. Lignocellulosic biomass has been reported to contain 30-60% cellulose, 20-40% hemicelluloses and 10-30% lignin [87,89]. Grasses generally have 25-40% cellulose, 25-50% hemicelluloses and 10-30% lignin [89].…”

“…Lignocellulosic biomass has been reported to contain 30-60% cellulose, 20-40% hemicelluloses and 10-30% lignin [87,89]. Grasses generally have 25-40% cellulose, 25-50% hemicelluloses and 10-30% lignin [89]. De Morais et al [28] reported 27.9-28.2% cellulose, 11.9-12.4% lignin and 2.2-2.6% ash for elephant grass bagasse.…”

Recent Advances in the Development of Fire-Resistant Biocomposites—A Review

“…Lignocellulosic biomass has gained increasing research interest because of its renewable nature [ 32 ]. Lignocellulosic biomass refers to both non-woody and wood biomass, which differ in their chemical and physical composition [ 33 ]. Holocellulose (a mixture of hemicellulose and cellulose) and lignin make up the category of lignocellulosic biomass.…”

United Nations sustainability development goals approached from the side of the biological production of fuels

“…Energy crop plants are grown specifically for biofuel production, but the crops vary with geography (Koçar and Civaş, 2013; Hood et al ., 2013). For example, in the United States, the most cultivated energy crop plants are corn, soybeans, willows and switchgrass (Cseke et al ., 2009); while in northern Europe preferential crops are rapeseed, wheat, sugar beet and willows. Sugarcane is the main energy crop grown in Brazil with sugar being fermented and bagasse burnt in combined cycle plants.…”