The emerging concept of a sustainable green biorefinery is strongly cross-disciplinary. It is based on a renaissance of biomass used as feedstock for fuels, chemicals and materials along with several key developments in science and engineering, which strengthen a new paradigm change:
A change from economy of scale to economy of numbers, based on simple and robust process design and control:
- application of bio-catalysts and flexible fermentation processes governed by ecological equilibrium
- and integration of biomass conversion processes into networks of decentralised small and medium sized bio-refineries, with the aim of converting the biomass feedstock completely into a portfolio of profitable products.
A biorefinery is dependent on regional feedstock supply as well as on market prices for its products: fuels, chemicals and/or materials - which are often intermediates for further conversion processes in conventional industries. No bio-refinery looks like any other, but all are flexible in adapting their portfolio to their regional raw materials supply base and to the changing market conditions with an aim to strengthen rural economy.
The sustainable green bio-refinery concept builds on many individual disciplines, which need to be integrated into a new, holistic paradigm:
- Agro- and forestry science & - engineering
- Industrial bio-technology
- Chemical process engineering & new product design
- Mechanical Engineering and construction
- Process Analytical Technologies (analysis, monitoring, chemometrics, sampling)
- Economy, logistics, political issues
Locally and regionally it is not the first time biomass is mankind?s core feedstock for technical applications, but even renewable resources are finite at a time. Many individual developments creating the paradigm change are not really new.
It would appear prudent and advantageous to take the many experiences from history on how to overcome constraints of global and regional finiteness of resources into serious consideration.
This symposium meets all these interdisciplinary aspects in one forum, with the objective to give scientists and company, industrial and political representatives a forum in which to exchange ideas, visions and positions, helping to create new joint projects (research, commercial, political) within a context towards a sustainable future.
