The Role that Lignocellulosic Feedstocks and Various Biorefining Technologies Can Play in Meeting Ireland’s Biofuel Targets

Modern biorefineries target the production of chemicals and fuels from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks such as energy crops and biodegradeable wastes. Biofuels produced from such processes are considered “second-generation-biofuels” and are considered to be more sustainable than first-generation-biofuels from food and oil crops. This paper considers the contribution that biorefineries can make in the Republic of Ireland to the mandated 10% biofuel quotient for 2020. This is done by considering eight different technologies and the practical quantities of waste suitable for them. It is concluded that between 3.5 and 5.7% of the 2008 demand for biofuels can be met from the utilisation of wastes and residues in near-term biorefining technologies and that up to 5% of the 2020 petrol and diesel demand can be met via processing a similar quantity of waste in an advanced enzymatic hydrolysis technology. The remaining biofuel requirements can be met by processing energy crops in either this or an advanced thermochemical facility. Between 1.8 and 13.7% of the agricultural area of Ireland is required for the production of these crops, depending on the particular feedstock. The production of a high-yielding Miscanthus crop that is harvested directly after senescence will place the minimum requirement on Irish land.