The Significance of Agro-Waste in Second-Generation Biofuels towards Circular Bioeconomy

Dear Colleagues,

The conversion of biomass into biofuel holds great promise regarding its technological ability to meet the ever-growing demand for clean energy resources while minimizing our reliance on fossil fuels. With regard to the economy, the rise of biofuels signifies the beginning of an agricultural renaissance, as there is currently a surge in demand for agricultural crops for energy production. Among the most promising feedstocks for biofuel production are agro-wastes with complex lignocellulose structures; these face limitations regarding the long-term sustainable profitability of the industries. However, these materials offer immense potential for the development of future biofuels, known as second-generation biofuels, and will address the limitations associated with biofuel production from food or feed crops.

Several strategies are being explored to enhance the biofuel production capacity of agro-wastes. One such approach involves pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass before fermentation in order to overcome its inherent recalcitrant nature. This pretreatment technique has been studied and implemented for nearly two centuries. In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the application of novel techniques such as microbial pretreatments, including enzymatic delignification, to optimize the process further. Ongoing research in this field aims to develop environmentally friendly, economically viable, and technically sound methods with which to maximize biofuel yields.

This Special Issue of the journal Energies seeks to publish comprehensive and original papers, as well as extensive reviews, that delve into recent advances, developments, and future prospects in the application of such biofuel production technologies. The Editorial Board is committed to facilitating a rapid and efficient peer-review process in order to effectively disseminate the latest findings in this field among the scientific community.

Dr. Parveen Fatemeh Rupani
Guest Editor

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• lignocellulosic biomass
• biological degradation
• anaerobic digestion
• fermentation
• microbial pretreatment
• biofuel production
• biomass and bioenergy