Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.8
3.9
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development
sustainability-logo
Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2020) | Viewed by 62559

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dilip Khatiwada

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Energy Systems, Department of Energy Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: energy systems analysis; nexus and sustainability assessment; techno-economic optimation of energy systems; decarbonization strategies; circular economy and bio-based economy; decision support systems and life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pallav Purohit

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pollution Management Research Group, Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Interests: energy economics; renewable energy; air pollution; GHG emissions; climate change; sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,  

Bioenergy can play an important and constructive role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, thereby advancing climate goals, food security, better land use, and sustainable energy for all. At present, bioenergy covers approximately 10% of the global energy supply, of which two-thirds is used in developing countries for cooking and heating. However, the current rate of bioenergy deployment is well below the levels required for low carbon scenarios. Accelerated deployment is urgently needed in order to ramp up the contribution of sustainable bioenergy across all sectors, notably in the transport sector, where consumption is estimated to triple by 2030. On the other hand, bioenergy is a complex and sometimes controversial topic. There is an increasing understanding that only bioenergy that is supplied and used in a sustainable manner has a place in a low carbon energy future. There are concerns and scientific debate on sustainable bioenergy, especially on land use change (LUC), food security, and biodiversity loss.

Despite recent expansion in the use of bioenergy and international trade globally, only a small portion of the existing potential has been harnessed for energy generation. While utilizing biomasses for bioenergy production, crucial research questions have been triggered. How much is the sustainable production potential of biofuels/bioenergy? What affects the sustainability of bioenergy production and utilization? How can the sustainability of bioenergy systems be measured? How can we find optimal conditions for biofuels deployment? How does the production and consumption of bioenergy affect sustainable development?

There is a plethora of bioenergy research either in the supply chains, conversion technologies, or techno-economic analysis of different biofuels production pathways. However, a little attention has been shown on how bioenergy production and consumption would have role in the sustainable development. What are the synergies and trade-offs between bioenergy use and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? What are the road maps and strategies for harnessing sustainable bioenergy at a national, regional, and global scale?

The purpose of this Special Issue is to publish research articles dedicated to finding the role of bioenergy for sustainable development. Special (but not exclusive) focus is put on the following topics:

  • Production and use of sustainable biomass feedstock (assessment of sustainable biomass resources)
  • Sustainability assessment on the supply chains of bioenergy
  • Role of bioenergy for meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Biomass resources and bioeconomy for sustainable development
  • Synergies and trade-offs analysis on bioenergy/biofuel production and use
  • Roadmap and strategies for sustainable bioenergy deployment

Assist. Prof. Dilip Khatiwada
Dr. Pallav Purohit
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Sustainable biomass feedstock
  • Biofuels production
  • Bioenergy supply chains
  • Sustainable development
  • Synergies and trade-offs
  • Road map and strategies

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

5 pages, 187 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue on Assessing the Modern Bioenergy Potential and Strategies for Sustainable Development: Transformations through Nexus, Policy, and Innovations
by Dilip Khatiwada and Pallav Purohit
Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010374 - 03 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2355
Abstract
This editorial aims to summarize the five scientific contributions that contributed to the Special Issue assessing the modern bioenergy potential and strategies for sustainable development, considering the several aspects, viz [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

18 pages, 1892 KiB  
Article
The Role of Participation in the Responsible Innovation Framework for Biofuels Projects: Can It Be Assessed?
by Andreia Marques Postal, Gabriela Benatti, Mar Palmeros Parada, Lotte Asveld, Patrícia Osseweijer and José Maria F. J. Da Silveira
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10581; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410581 - 17 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2065
Abstract
The growth in biofuels’ investment brings with it concerns about the social and environmental impacts of the sector. Several tools and frameworks have been used to address these concerns, including the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework. This paper analyzes whether this framework [...] Read more.
The growth in biofuels’ investment brings with it concerns about the social and environmental impacts of the sector. Several tools and frameworks have been used to address these concerns, including the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework. This paper analyzes whether this framework can be applied in contexts where local culture and values shape differently the freedom of speech and engagement, such as in developing countries in which biofuel innovation projects are often implemented. A literature review focused on eight case studies of other authors was used to explore the role of “participation” as a structural element of the RRI framework and the impact of its absence where effective participation in the innovation development process is not possible. In conclusion, we highlight how this inspirational normative framework, designed to influence innovation, is misused to judge its impacts. More than that, the conclusions of such misused applications reflect more the difficulties involved in applying guidelines than the responsible character of the innovation, whose impacts are usually defined upfront materially and measurably. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 7169 KiB  
Article
Mapping Bioenergy Supply and Demand in Selected Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Exploratory Assessment of Modern Bioenergy’s Contribution to SDG7
by Dilip Khatiwada, Pallav Purohit and Emmanuel Kofi Ackom
Sustainability 2019, 11(24), 7091; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247091 - 11 Dec 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4351
Abstract
Bioenergy can play an important role in achieving the agreed United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, thereby advancing climate goals, food security, better land use, and sustainable energy for all. In this study, we assess [...] Read more.
Bioenergy can play an important role in achieving the agreed United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, thereby advancing climate goals, food security, better land use, and sustainable energy for all. In this study, we assess the surplus agricultural residues availability for bioelectricity in six least developed countries (LDCs) in Asia and Africa, namely Bangladesh, Lao-PDR, and Nepal in Asia; and Ethiopia, Malawi, and Zambia in Africa, respectively. The surplus agricultural residues have been estimated using residue-to-product ratio (RPR), agricultural residues lost in the collection, transportation and storage, and their alternative applications. We use a linear regression model to project the economic potential of bioelectricity. The contribution of bioelectricity for meeting the LDCs’ electricity requirements is estimated in a time frame between 2017 and 2030. Our results reveal that the surplus biomass feedstock available from the agriculture sector could provide the total current electricity demand in Malawi alone, followed by Nepal (45%), Bangladesh (29%), Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao-PDR) (29%), Ethiopia (27%), and Zambia (13%). This study also explores the complementarity and synergies of bioelectricity, SDG7, and their interlinkages with other SDGs. Findings from the study show that providing access to sustainable energy in the LDCs to meet the SDG7 by 2030 might be a challenge due to limited access to technology, infrastructure, and finance. Site-specific investigations on how much agricultural residues could be extracted in an environmentally benign manner for bioelectricity and increased investment in the bioenergy sector are key potential solutions in a myriad of options required to harness the full energy potential in the LDCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

23 pages, 592 KiB  
Article
Global Investment Failures and Transformations: A Review of Hyped Jatropha Spaces
by Richmond Antwi-Bediako, Kei Otsuki, Annelies Zoomers and Aklilu Amsalu
Sustainability 2019, 11(12), 3371; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123371 - 18 Jun 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3093
Abstract
There was a heightened global interest in large-scale Jatropha cultivation for the past few decades, and this incited investment toward the crop in many developing countries. Many saw Jatropha as a green fuel that could possibly be an alternative to fossil fuel, which [...] Read more.
There was a heightened global interest in large-scale Jatropha cultivation for the past few decades, and this incited investment toward the crop in many developing countries. Many saw Jatropha as a green fuel that could possibly be an alternative to fossil fuel, which has adverse implications to deal with the impacts of climate change. However, Jatropha investments failed to meet global expectations, leading to unexpected social, environmental, and economic transformations in the investment spaces. This paper reviews and synthesizes the transformations and complexities in failed Jatropha spaces in six previous major Jatropha investment destinations across the world—Mexico, India, China, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Ghana—by employing qualitative data analysis. The findings generally show that, in all of the countries studied, promoters of Jatropha investments, including the central government and private investors, subscribed to a “wait-and-see” approach with positive expectations. The review revealed that the intended goal of establishing global Jatropha investments to serve as an alternative source of fuel failed because of the unexpected complexities of the hype, which dwelled much on the deferment option of the “wait-and-see” approach for global Jatropha investments. Failure of the investments along with unmet expectations led to land-use changes from Jatropha to the cultivation of other crops (often food crops) or total land abandonment. Although we are not totally pessimistic about the economic and production viability of Jatropha as a biofuel feedstock, we emphasize the importance of paying considerable attention to other feedstocks that might have a better future as alternatives to fossil-based energy for the deployment of sustainable bioenergy. Furthermore, our findings provide meaningful justification for policy- and decision-makers in the development space to tacitly reflect and appraise new investment initiatives or interventions before endorsement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1511 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Water and Energy Nexus in Wami Ruvu River Basin, Tanzania
by Mngereza Miraji, Xi Li, Jie Liu and Chunmiao Zheng
Sustainability 2019, 11(11), 3109; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113109 - 02 Jun 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3675
Abstract
In African nations, national and regional development targets for water and energy sectors seldom consider the nexus between the two, risking imbalances and inefficiencies in resource allocation and utilization. A typical example is the development and expansion of biofuel in the Wami Ruvu [...] Read more.
In African nations, national and regional development targets for water and energy sectors seldom consider the nexus between the two, risking imbalances and inefficiencies in resource allocation and utilization. A typical example is the development and expansion of biofuel in the Wami Ruvu River Basin, Tanzania (WRB). Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model was applied to the WRB to investigate the Water Energy Nexus (WEN), specifically, whether the development plan calling for biofuel expansion is a sound approach. Results show that WEN is much stronger in the biofuel irrigation consuming 69.3% and 61% of total biofuel’s water and energy requirement, respectively. By 2035, the nexus continues to be stronger, consuming 54.5% and 49% of total biofuel’s water and energy requirement, respectively, and thus first generation biofuels use much more resources in the growing than the refining process. An additional 768.2 million meter cubic of water and 413.4 million kWh of energy are needed for planned biofuel expansion, reallocating water to biofuels in water-scarce regions inherit related problems to other sectors such as increasing water use for the industry, agriculture, and energy sector by 67%, 45%, and 9%, respectively, which could further exacerbate stresses on water and energy supplies in the basin. Biofuel generation rely heavily on energy imports, as it consumes substantially more energy than it produces. Policies should promote the coordinated development of sustainable biofuel programs that are less water intensive with very low inputs of fossil fuels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

24 pages, 1209 KiB  
Review
A PESTLE Analysis of Biofuels Energy Industry in Europe
by Spyridon Achinas, Johan Horjus, Vasileios Achinas and Gerrit Jan Willem Euverink
Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 5981; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11215981 - 28 Oct 2019
Cited by 50 | Viewed by 46084
Abstract
Biofuels production is expected to be an intrinsic confluence to the renewable energy sector in the coming years under the European regulations for renewable energy. Key standpoints of the biofuels promotions are the reduction of national carbon emissions and rural deployment. Despite jubilant [...] Read more.
Biofuels production is expected to be an intrinsic confluence to the renewable energy sector in the coming years under the European regulations for renewable energy. Key standpoints of the biofuels promotions are the reduction of national carbon emissions and rural deployment. Despite jubilant outlook of biofuels for sustainable development, research efforts still tend to link the biofuel industry and regional growth. The aim of this study is to explore and review the biofuels industry through a socio-political, techno-economic, legal and environmental (PESTLE) analysis approach, and discuss the interrelation between technological facets and sustainable deployment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Bioenergy for Sustainable Development)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop