Biorefinery Concepts in Comparison to Petrochemical Refineries

Biorefinery, the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products and energy, is compared to petrochemical refineries. The economic value of biomass refining as well as a universal classification system will be discussed. Examples of conventional and advanced biorefineries including oleochemical, lignocellulosic feedstock, next generation hydrocarbon, and green biorefinery will be presented. Special emphasis is given to the comparison of biorefinery concepts with petrochemical refineries in relation to the different platform molecules currently used in petrochemical refineries. To better assess the different biorefinery concepts the Biorefinery Complexity Index will be introduced. The ambition of this index is to create a tool for industry, decision-makers, and investors to better judge potential and risks of the different biorefinery concepts on short, medium, and long term.

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