Valorisation of Biomass Waste for Sustainable Bioenergy and Biofuel Production

Although the rapid development of industrialisation has brought great benefits to our societies, waste accumulation and energy depletion have inevitably grown to be critical issues in recent decades. Biomass wastes from a wide range of sources, including household leftovers, agricultural, forestry, and industries [1], are among the scientific community’s gravest concerns today. These wastes can be disposed of by either landfill or traditional combustion. However, disposal uses a large amount of land and results in greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, it is critical to investigate the correct ways of managing or re-utilizing the biowaste and ultimately pursuing a green economy. For example, biomass wastes could be used to serve as alternative feedstocks, providing green and sustainable biofuels such as bioethanol, biogas, and biodiesel [2]. Cellulose-rich crop residues like wheat straw and corn stover are common agricultural wastes that possess potential uses as feedstock for bio-refinery. Digestate wastewater, poultry litter, and animal manure are also versatile sources of bioenergy and nutrients for microbial growth due to their abundance levels of nitrogen and trace elements. Microorganisms including yeasts, algae and bacteria generally participate in the utilisation of biomass wastes. With the rapid development of synthetic biology-guided bioeconomy, superior microbial cell factories will be constructed to degrade the biowaste and produce value-added bioproducts [3]. Thus, the utilisation of biomass wastes is important in efforts to alleviate the waste burden and promises to reduce human reliance on non-renewable petrol energy resources.
This editorial paper summarises papers published recently in Bioengineering (Basel) on the study of bioenergy and biofuels production using biomass waste as feedstocks.