Research Priorities and Trends on Bioenergy: Insights from Bibliometric Analysis

Ruling Yuan, Jun Pu, Dan Wu, Qingbai Wu (), Taoli Huhe (), Tingzhou Lei and Yong Chen
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Ruling Yuan: College of Energy and Power Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, No. 287 Langongping Road, Lanzhou 730050, China
Jun Pu: Changzhou Key Laboratory of Biomass Green, Safe & High Value Utilization Technology, Institute of Urban and Rural Mining, Changzhou University, No. 21 Gehu Road, Changzhou 213164, China
Dan Wu: Changzhou Key Laboratory of Biomass Green, Safe & High Value Utilization Technology, Institute of Urban and Rural Mining, Changzhou University, No. 21 Gehu Road, Changzhou 213164, China
Qingbai Wu: College of Energy and Power Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, No. 287 Langongping Road, Lanzhou 730050, China
Taoli Huhe: Changzhou Key Laboratory of Biomass Green, Safe & High Value Utilization Technology, Institute of Urban and Rural Mining, Changzhou University, No. 21 Gehu Road, Changzhou 213164, China
Tingzhou Lei: Changzhou Key Laboratory of Biomass Green, Safe & High Value Utilization Technology, Institute of Urban and Rural Mining, Changzhou University, No. 21 Gehu Road, Changzhou 213164, China
Yong Chen: Changzhou Key Laboratory of Biomass Green, Safe & High Value Utilization Technology, Institute of Urban and Rural Mining, Changzhou University, No. 21 Gehu Road, Changzhou 213164, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Replacing fossil fuels with bioenergy is crucial to achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality. To determine the priorities and developing trends of bioenergy technology, related publications from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed using bibliometric method. Results demonstrated that the number of publications on bioenergy increased rapidly since 2005, and the average growth rate from 2005 to 2011 reached a maximum of 20% per year. In terms of publication quantity, impact, and international collaboration, the USA had been leading the research of bioenergy technology, followed by China and European countries. Co-occurrence analysis using author keywords identified six clusters about this topic, which are “biodiesel and transesterification”, “biogas and anaerobic digestion”, “bioethanol and fermentation”, “bio-oil and pyrolysis”, “microalgae and lipid”, and “biohydrogen and gasification or dark fermentation”. Among the six clusters, three of them relate to liquid biofuel, attributing that the liquid products of biomass are exceptional alternatives to fossil fuels for heavy transportation and aviation. Lignocellulose and microalgae were identified as the most promising raw materials, and pretreating technologies and efficient catalysts have received special attention. The sharp increase of “pyrolysis” and “gasification” from 2011 to 2020 suggested that those technologies about thermochemical conversion have been well studied in recent years. Some new research trends, such as applying nanoparticles in transesterification, and hydrothermal liquefaction in producing bio-oil from microalgae, will get a breakthrough in the coming years.

Keywords: biomass; bioenergy; bibliometric method; social network analysis; co-occurrence analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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