What role for the bioeconomy in an electrified transportation sector?

Abstract

The growth of the bioeconomy has recently been slowed by over production of petroleum and natural gas from unconventional domestic reserves, which has reduced demand for biofuels. In the longer term, liquid transportation fuels, both petroleum‐ and bio‐based, are threatened by electrification of the transportation sector, which will benefit from the use of low‐cost natural gas to generate electricity for battery electric vehicles. Low‐cost natural gas in the USA is attractive for other applications as well, including the production of certain petrochemicals. On the other hand, natural gas is not suitable for producing many high molecular weight petrochemicals. Cost‐competitive biorenewable versions of these products will need to be commercialized if petroleum is to be displaced without causing substantial economic distortions. This article reviews the available bio‐based pathways and the current state of research on their technical and, where available, economic feasibility. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Pathways for a Brazilian biobased economy: towards optimal utilization of biomass

“…With a full portfolio of renewable alternatives for petrochemical products, this study is able to analyze the transition of the petrochemical industry under stringent GHG mitigation measures. This is also highlighted by Brown and Brown, who foresee a large potential for biobased chemicals as renewable alternatives to plastics because the electrification of the transport sector reduces the production not only of petrol but also other refinery products, including naphtha, the base feedstock for the production of plastics. Naphtha is a co‐product of oil refineries.…”

Dissociative Adsorption of Acetone on Platinum Single-Crystal Electrodes

“…Biomass could become a crucial feedstock for fuels and chemicals in the future. 1 For that reason, the electrochemical hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds, as a means for the upgrading of pyrolysis oil 2 − 7 or the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-dihydroxymethylfuran or 2,5-dimethylfuran, 8 , 9 has attracted much attention. Because of the increasing interest in the electrochemical conversion of carbonyl compounds, we recently investigated the electrochemical hydrogenation of acetone as a model compound for more complex carbonyl compounds.…”

“…Biomass could become a crucial feedstock for fuels and chemicals in the future . For that reason, the electrochemical hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds, as a means for the upgrading of pyrolysis oil − or the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-dihydroxymethylfuran or 2,5-dimethylfuran, , has attracted much attention.…”

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