Innovation Review: Unique Feedstock Alternatives to Fossil Fuels

 Biobased Solutions       

The depletion of fossil feedstock reserves, in addition to increasing CO₂ emission impact on the environment, has necessitated a search for alternative feedstocks long back.

The research and development projects continue to evolve with an aim to:

• Reduce petroleum consumption
• Improve the environment, and
• Avoid competition with food crops.

Feedstocks from alternative sources, such as agricultural, urban, or industrial wastes, marine, algae & seaweed, etc. are explored and used for raw materials production.

We all know that bio-based raw materials production has already undergone historic changes moving from traditional crops like corn and sugarcane (first generation) to non-food resources. These are cellulose found in the waste of the wood and paper industry (second generation), or unused organic elements of spinach, coffee or cauliflower with bacteria, algae or yeast strains (third generation).

However, production process of bio-based raw materials and bioplastics through fermentation of cellulose-based (second generation) and other (third generation) feedstock still calls for improvement to be able to obtain higher yields and fewer byproducts. With further biotechnological breakthroughs and following lower production costs, ultimately, bio-based raw materials and polymers are likely to reach the same performance level vs. petrochemical-based counterparts.

There are already several interesting solutions that are being explored or even exist in the market derived from alternative renewable resources.

Let us quote some of them as examples.