A critical review on conversion technology for liquid biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass

Lihan Ge, Mahmoud M. Ali, Ahmed I. Osman, Ahmed M. Elgarahy, M. Samer, Yongdong Xu and Zhidan Liu

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, vol. 217, issue C

Abstract: The growing demand for sustainable energy solutions has intensified interest in lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) as a renewable feedstock for liquid biofuels. This review critically evaluates advancements in LCB-to-biofuel conversion technologies, comparing their efficiency, environmental impact, and economic feasibility. Thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis and gasification offer conversion efficiencies of 28–40 % at relatively low costs (0.55–0.60 USD/L gasoline equivalent) but require bio-oil upgrading. Biochemical pathways produce higher-quality fuels; however, high enzyme costs and microbial toxicity hinder large-scale implementation. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) shows promise with 35 MJ/kg biocrude energy density and 92 % carbon retention, though high energy input and catalyst costs remain challenges. Biobutanol outperforms bioethanol in energy content (29.2 MJ/dm3) and engine compatibility but suffers from microbial toxicity. Biodiesel cuts GHG emissions by 53–61 % but struggles in cold climates. Life cycle assessments indicate significantly reduce GHG emissions, with waste-derived feedstocks mitigating land-use conflicts. Advancing LCB biofuels requires optimizing HTL, enhancing microbial tolerance in biobutanol production, and integrating AI for process improvements. Policy support through subsidies and carbon incentives, along with scalable technology deployment, is key to sustainable biofuel adoption.

Keywords: Liquid biofuel; Fermentation; Pyrolysis; Gasification; Hydrothermal liquefaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032125003995
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:217:y:2025:i:c:s1364032125003995

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 600126/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115726

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews is currently edited by L. Kazmerski

More articles in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().