1.1 Biorefinery definition

A biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, heat, and value-added chemicals from biomass. The biorefinery concept is analogous to today’s petroleum refinery, which produces multiple fuels and products from petroleum (Smith & Consultancy, 2007).

The IEA Bioenergy Task 42 on Biorefineries has defined biorefining as the "sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of bio-based products (food, feed, chemicals,

materials) and bioenergy (biofuels, power and/or heat)." The biorefinery is not a single or fixed technology. It is collection of processes that utilize renewable biological or bio-based sources, or feedstocks, to produce an end product, or products, in a manner that is a zero — waste producing, and whereby each component from the process is converted or utilized in a manner to add value, and hence sustainability to the plant. Several different routes from feedstocks to products are being developed and demonstrated, and it is likely that multiple biorefinery designs will emerge in the future.

By producing multiple products, a biorefinery takes advantage of the various components in biomass and their intermediates, thereby maximizing the value derived from the biomass feedstock. A biorefinery could, for example, produce one or several low-volume, but high — value chemical or nutraceutical products and a low-value, but high-volume liquid transportation fuel such as biodiesel or bioethanol (see also alcohol fuel), while also generating electricity and process heat through combined heat and power (CHP) technology for its own use, and perhaps enough for sale of electricity to the local utility. In this scenario, the high-value products increase profitability, the high-volume fuel helps meet energy needs, and the power production helps to lower energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as compared to traditional power plant facilities. Although some facilities exist that can be called biorefineries, the technology is not commonplace. Future biorefineries may play a major role in producing chemicals and materials that are traditionally produced from petroleum.