In a future, low-carbon economy, bioenergy is expected to play a significant role; it could contribute substantially to the global energy supply and would thus be a potential cornerstone for a society independent of fossil fuels.
Regarding this long-term goal, many countries invest resources and set up ambitious strategies towards the achievement of a large share of renewable energy target. Predictions can be found that energy from biomass shall increase substantially in the next years so that biomass use, at least for power generation, could double compared to 2010.
However, research activities still face a long list of highly important and pending challenges including the following questions:
. How should processes be effectively designed and accommodated into a sustainable grid and power supply that includes wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and solar energy?
. How should agricultural resources be used in a sustainable and ethical way to avoid negative consequences such as scarcity of food, another global challenge?
. Can we demonstrate that biomass is a secure and sufficient supply of energy for the future?
. Can urban biowaste be treated so that we may convince the community to more efficient recycling? Is biowaste bound to become more important than biomass?
. Will the conversion from biomass to bioenergy, biofuel or bio-product really achieve a substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions?
With this volume we would like to share the latest key innovations within sustainable bioenergy, technologies and solutions.
Katharina Kohse-Höinghaus, Eliseo Ranzi (Guest Editors)
