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Bamboo has been identified as a promising solution to the energy crisis and climate change as a source of biomass energy. Due to its rapid growth and high‐value products, bamboo is considered as a potential source of biomass energy. Bamboo contains a significant amount of cellulose and hemicellulose, which can be converted to sugar constituents, making it an ideal raw material for energy production. This article reviews the different processes of producing bioethanol, biogas, biochar, and bio‐oil from bamboo biomass using techniques such as pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, fermentation, and anaerobic digestion, and discusses the opportunities and challenges of these conversion technologies. It also reviews the main types and morphological characteristics of energy bamboo species and proposes an evaluation system for energy bamboo species, which optimizes the utilization efficiency of bamboo biomass energy and maximizes benefits by adopting appropriate methods for producing bioenergy based on the characteristics of different bamboo species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper surveys the status and future prospects of bioenergy renewable energy source (RES) hybrids, i.e. energy conversion processes that have at least two renewable energy inputs, one of which is bioenergy. Finland, Austria, Germany and Denmark were the case study countries. We found that the implementation of bioenergy RES hybrids was already ongoing in various sectors, but a majority of them was focused on domestic heating applications. Bioenergy can be used to provide flexible resources for both energy supply and energy storage. An important motivation behind hybrid systems is the possibility of switching between different energy sources in an optimal way. No significant technical limitations were identified for surveyed hybrid systems, but the future economic potential of bioenergy RES hybrids remains difficult to estimate as the value of flexibility cannot be assessed in isolation from the energy system. © 2019 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes projections of the theoretical and technical potentials of bioenergy supply for 2050. The projections consider changes in available land for bioenergy and food for the global demand and advancements in yield, productivity, expansion of bio-waste recovery, and energy conversion. We present a literature review on projections. We introduced a novel logical and transparent forecasting model. Three future scenarios were established: business as usual (BUS), optimistic trends (OPT), and full adaptation response (FAR). The projection is carried out based on four adjusting factors. An uncertainty analysis was carry-out based on a Monte-Carlo method. Projections of bioenergy production in 2050 were compared with other projections in the literature. The FAR scenario showed that it would be possible to produce twenty-one times the current primary bioenergy supply and to even supply all global primary energy demand in 2050, mostly by energy crops. The assumptions adopted for the BUS and OPT scenarios make their projections more likely. Therefore, the contribution of bioenergy in the global energy matrix is expected to be between 64 and 313 EJ (7.5%–37%) in 2050. There would be a significant change in the composition of the bioenergy supply from today's mostly firewood to energy crops and biowastes. The technical potential for fuel and electric power mostly follow the supply trends for primary bioenergy (theoretical). The potential avoided greenhouse emissions are estimated. The heuristics and the level of transparency of the novel model will allow adjustments and exploration of other scenarios as time passes. • Novel model for projections of the potential of global primary bioenergy supply. • Bioenergy supply potential is shown for 11 different groups of biomass. • Global primary bioenergy supply could increase up to 6 times by 2050 (37% of demand). • Full adaptation response scenario could meet 100% of the global energy demand. • Bioenergy can play a major role in the global energy supply. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-diversity mixtures of native tallgrass prairie vegetation should be effective biomass feedstocks because of their high productivity and low input requirements. These diverse mixtures should also enhance several of the ecosystem services provided by the traditional monoculture feedstocks used for bioenergy. In this study, we compared biomass production, year-to-year variation in biomass production, and resistance to weed invasion in four prairie biomass feedstocks with different diversity: one species - a switchgrass monoculture; five species - a mix of C4 grasses; 16 species - a mix of grasses, forbs, and legumes; and 32 species - a mix of grasses, forbs, legumes, and sedges. Each diversity treatment was replicated four times on three soil types for a total of 48 research plots (0.33-0.56 ha each). We measured biomass production by harvesting all plant material to ground level in ten randomly selected quadrats per plot. Weed biomass was measured as a subset of total biomass. We replicated this design over a five-year period (2010-2014). Across soil types, the one-, 16-, and 32-species treatments produced the same amount of biomass, but the one-species treatment produced significantly more biomass than the five-species treatment. The rank order of our four diversity treatments differed between soil types suggesting that soil type influences treatment productivity. Year-to-year variation in biomass production did not differ between diversity treatments. Weed biomass was higher in the one-species treatment than the five-, 16-, and 32-species treatments. The high productivity and low susceptibility to weed invasion of our 16- and 32-species treatments supports the hypothesis that high-diversity prairie mixtures would be effective biomass feedstocks in the Midwestern United States. The influence of soil type on relative feedstock performance suggests that seed mixes used for biomass should be specifically tailored to site characteristics for maximum productivity and stand success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum) is a C perennial grass and is the model herbaceous perennial bioenergy feedstock. Although it is indigenous to North American grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains and has been planted for forage and conservation purposes for more than 75 years, there is concern that switchgrass grown as a biofuel crop could become invasive. Our objective is to report on the invasion of C and C grasses into the stands of two switchgrass cultivars following 10 years of management for biomass energy under different N and harvest management regimes in eastern Nebraska. Switchgrass stands were invaded by big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii), smooth bromegrass ( Bromus inermis), and other grasses during the 10 years. The greatest invasion by grasses occurred in plots to which 0 N had been applied and with harvests at anthesis. In general, less grass encroachment occurred in plots receiving at least 60 kg of N ha or in plots harvested after frost. There were differences among cultivars with Cave-in-Rock being more resistant to invasion than Trailblazer. There was no observable evidence of switchgrass from this study invading into border areas or adjacent fields after 10 years of management for biomass energy. Results indicate that switchgrass is more likely to be invaded by other grasses than to encroach into native prairies or perennial grasslands seeded on marginally productive cropland in the western Corn Belt of the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this study was to explore the magnitude of Zimbabwe's biomass resources available for energy production using thermochemical conversion route. This involved estimation biomass from crops, forestry, livestock and Municipal Solid Residues (MSR). A model for estimating biomass energy potential was developed in Microsoft Excel. The crop and forestry production and livestock data used as a basis of calculations was obtained from FAOSTAT. The biomass residues available for energy production were calculated from residues produced considering economic and environmental concerns associated with the removal of crop residues from land and current residue uses. The energy content was obtained by multiplying the available biomass by specific biomass energy content. The total biomass energy was estimated at an annual average of 413.2 PJ but only 279.5 PJ (23.8% crops, 17.8% crop residues, 45.2% forestry resources, 12.2% livestock residue and 1.0% MSR) is sustainably available. Of this energy 189.3 PJ (26.3% from crop residue, 47.9% from woodfuel, 6.4% from forestry residue, 18.0% from livestock residue and 1.5% from MSR) can be used for energy production without competing for resources with food/feed production and other biomass applications. This can meet approximately 48% of the current energy consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The past few years have seen a phenomenal rise in the production and consumption of biofuels and biodiesel at the global level. This development is of special significance to Africa, where about 550 million people (75% of the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa) depend on traditional biomass (wood, charcoal, cow dung, etc.) and lack access to electricity or any kind of modern energy service. Derived from plants and agricultural crops, biofuels and biodiesel represent modern forms of bioenergy and more efficient use of biomass energy. Beyond efficiency, modern bioenergy offers tremendous opportunities to meet growing household energy demands, increase income, reduce poverty, and mitigate environmental degradation. In the African setting, energy and livelihoods security are indeed inseparable. This paper argues economic, social, and environmental benefits of modern bioenergy can be realized through a strategy that centres on smallholder production and processing schemes and pursuit of a livelihood approach to energy development. Such a scheme opens up new domestic markets, generates new cash incomes, improves social wellbeing, enhances new technology adoption, and lays the ground for rural economic transformation and sustainable land use. The paper concludes by underlining the vital importance of considering sound property rights and strategic planning of sustainable development as tools for sustainable energy and livelihoods security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofuel feedstocks are being selected, bred, and engineered from nonnative taxa to have few resident pests, to tolerate poor growing conditions, and to produce highly competitive monospecific stands--traits that typify much of our invasive flora. We used a weed risk-assessment protocol, which categorizes the risk of becoming invasive on the basis of biogeography, history, biology, and ecology, to qualify the potential invasiveness of three leading biofuel candidate crops--switchgrass, giant reed, and miscanthus (a sterile hybrid)--under various assumptions. Switchgrass was found to have a high invasive potential in California, unless sterility is introduced; giant reed has a high invasive potential in Florida, where large plantations are proposed; miscanthus poses little threat of escape in the United States. Each biofuel crop shares many characteristics with established invasive weeds with a similar life history. We propose genotype-specific preintroduction screening for a target region, which consists of risk analysis, climate-matching modeling, and ecological studies of fitness responses to various environmental scenarios. This screening procedure will provide reasonable assurance that economically beneficial biofuel crops will pose a minimal risk of damaging native and managed environs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]