Lignin Gasification: Current and Future Viability

Abraham Castro Garcia, Shuo Cheng and Jeffrey S. Cross ()
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Abraham Castro Garcia: Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
Shuo Cheng: Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
Jeffrey S. Cross: Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: The consumption of fossil fuels is one of the main drivers of climate change. Lignin derived from biomass is a carbon-neutral raw feedstock, and its conversion into fuels is gaining much attention. The gasification of biomass aims to transform heterogeneous feedstocks into syngas and heat that could be used for various purposes. Lignin is a biomass feedstock of special interest due to its particular properties and its ability to be obtained in abundant quantities as a side product from the paper pulp industry as well as the growing cellulosic ethanol industry. This review explores the existing works regarding lignin gasification from different perspectives and compares the results obtained with other existing thermochemical processes, in addition to providing a perspective on the long-term fate of gasification as a technology compared to other emerging technologies. The analysis indicates that while lignin gasification may grow in importance in the near future due to increased interest in hydrogen production, its potential in emerging applications indicates that lignin may be too valuable to be used purely for energy generation purposes, and applications that take advantage of its inherent chemical compounds are expected to take priority in the long-term.

Keywords: lignin; gasification; hydrogen; syngas; biomass (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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