LIG2G Seminar
Reims, 2007 November 26th
Lignocellulose :
the biomass feedstock
for today and tomorrow
ALIMENTATION
Ghislain Gosse [Inra]
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Global considerations
• Two challenges : How to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and How to propose solutions to carbon fossil
utilisation? One consequence : How to produce a huge
amount of renewable carbon in a sustainable way?
• Biomass feedstock availability is and will be the limiting
factor for the development of bioeconomy (energy,
chemistry…) In France, 40-50 Mtoe in 2050 versus
actual energy consumption of 280 Mtoe
• Two major consequences : i) Criteria of evaluation of the
overall chains (GHG, energy balance…) and mainly ii)
How to minimize the competition with food and feed?
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Agriculture and Forestry
are the two sources of renewable carbon
[Land use competition]
Classical agriculture
Food/Feed
Byproducts
Agriculture…
1992
Byproducts
Agriculture
1992-2005…
Classical agriculture
Food and non food
Dedicated agriculture
Food/Feed
Byproducts
Agriculture… tomorrow,
An additional mission
Non
Food
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Lignocellulose, the challenge for the future
• From the utilisation of the starch, sugars to the whole
utilisation of the storage organ (grain, tubers…), …on the
way of the biorefinery,
• To the use of the whole crop with one common factor,
How to produce, to use this lignocellulosic raw material?
• Lignocellulose is the most ubiquist biomass feedstock at
the world level, at the regional level : from agriculture to
forestry ressources through biological urban wastes
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
The agricultural biomass feedstock,
a learning curve from today to the future
Potential
C4 perennial
crops
Short rotation
coppice
Annual
crops
Byproducts
straw
Time
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Why this learning curve? (1)
• By products such as straw… are limited in quantity but
they exist today in the field. It is the first step for
industrial applications
• Annual crops, an existing solution (triticale, sorghum…)
but not the best in term of yield and sustainability, a
solution for transition…
• C4 perennial crops, the best solution in term of
productivity and local impact on environment, not yet
ready for large scale use
• A panel of solution in time and space…
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Why this learning curve? (2)
Interest
Where is the optimum?
Insertion
in farming
system
Triticale
Miscanthus
Environment
Triticale
Miscanthus
Perennial crops
Annual crops
Crop perennity
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Biomass feedstock and quality
• Lignocellulose, but which kind of process of conversion?
• Lignocellulose quality may be adapted, modified by
green biotech more easily than productivity
• Evolution of
management
quality
during
crop
growth
and
its
• Humid or dry biomass, thermochemical or biological
process. One key-question for agriculture and related
logistics
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Biomass feedstock and the industrial supply area
• Size (200 000 t/y or 5 000 000 t/y), consequences are
completely different
• Complementarity, synergy with other sources of biomass
• Impacts on farming systems
• Impacts on rural development
• Acceptability by actors of the chain including society
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Collecte
Conversion
[Agronomie]
[Logistique]
[Prétraitement / Synthèse]
Biomasse
Commodités
Préconditionnement
Biomasse
humide
Broyage et/ou
méthanisation
Biogaz
Produits
Intermédiaires
Prétraitement
Hydrolyse
enzymatique
Etapes
Fermentation
multi-sucres
Ethanol
Co-génération
Chaleur
Electricité
Intermédiaires
de la lignine
+ Energie
+ H2O
Huiles
Biomasse
sèche
Préconditionnement
Broyage et/ou
pyrolyse
Gazéification
Synthèse
Pyrolyse
Conditionnement
gaz et séparation
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Hydrocarbures
© INRA / J.Cormeau
Production
BIOFUELS
2nd GENERATION
PMII FUTUROL
Aims of this project
« Setup and validate, technically and
economically, a process of ethanol production
from lignocellulose »
Adhoc research and development will be in relationship with a
continuous pilot plant (scale of one ton per day), a preliminary
step before an industrial demonstration plant. This pilot plant
will be setup nearby a first generation distillery (from sugar
beet).
Conclusion (1)
Biomass, a challenge for the XXIth century
Towards a society based upon Bioeconomy?
• Biomass availability is the limiting factor and has to be
produced in a sustainable way. Lignocellulose is the key
raw material for tomorrow
• Perennial C4 crops is the ideal target in a panel of
solutions to implement according to different socio,
pedoclimatic conditions. This panel will include residues,
annual crops, perennial crops and wood
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT
Conclusion (2)
•Biomass ressources have to be defined (especially in
term of quality) according to the industrial process,
green biotech may be an important contribution
a key point for your seminar today!
•Biomass requires large scale areas, acceptability and
rural development are crucial questions
ALIMENTATION
AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONNEMENT