Second-generation biofuel production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste
Open accessAbstract
Biofuels are playing an increasingly important role since they are an attractive alternative to fossil fuels, access to which has been limited. Moreover, they can help the European Union countries meet their climate and energy objectives. There is a growing interest in the production of biofuels from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes as second-generation biofuels. Such a solution supports a circular economy as an example of an effective approach in terms of effective waste management. The study presents a review of different biofuels with an emphasis on second-generation biofuels from lignocellulose biomass, highlighting the BioRen process, which is one of the waste-to-fuel conversion technologies. It allows for maintaining the value of materials within the economy. All stages of the process are described and material flow is presented. The framework of the BioRen project includes the bio-fermentation of the organic fraction by a two-stage enzymatic process simultaneously into bioethanol and isobutanol, which are then used to produce glycerol tertiary butyl ether. The post-fermentation sludge is treated by the hydrothermal carbonization method increasing the efficiency of the whole waste treatment process and closing the loop. The bio-coal resulting from the process of carbonization can be used as a fuel with a high-calorific value. The remaining fraction undergoes a physical–chemical and catalytic conversion of inorganic particles into their clean, dry, and inert components. The results show that in the BioRen project 78% of the heat that is produced during the process is recovered and used for electricity production. Moreover, 53% of waste is recovered and re-used, because the process is profitable, efficient, environmentally friendly, and maintains high-security standards. Such an example of advanced technology, with a high readiness level, obtained results, and experience may encourage European countries and facilities to implement such an effective solution, which supports the development of bioenergy.
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Established biochemical processes for 2-G feedstocks include anaerobic digestion for biogas production and fermentation to produce bioethanol.
“Established biochemical processes for 2-G feedstocks include anaerobic digestion for biogas production and fermentation to produce bioethanol [132,133].”
From Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions (2025) · cites this paper as [132]
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- Authors
- Kowalski, Z., Kulczycka, J., Verhé, R., Desender, L., De Clercq, G., Makara, A., Generowicz, N., & Harazin, P.
- Affiliations
- Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
- AGH University of Krakow (PL)
- Ghent University (BE)
- Cracow University of Technology (PL)
- Corresponding author
- Kulczycka, Joanna
- Venue
- Frontiers in Energy Research
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2022-08-25
- Volume
- 10
- ISSN
- 2296-598X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4293231914
- Cited by
- 71
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 3.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Energy Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Framework Programme (818310)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Municipal Solid Waste Management
- Keywords
- second-generation biofuels, organic fraction of municipal solid waste, lignocellulosic biomass, bioethanol, isobutanol, hydrothermal carbonization, bio-coal, waste management, circular economy, bioenergy, heat recovery, waste valorization
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