residues, manure, bushes, and plants are solid biomass fuel. They are the fundamental energy tools used for heating, boiling water, electricity, and temperature control purposes. Firewood is required among various biomass resources, especially in residential neighborhoods, where the winters are long [118]. Solid fuel releases gases such as NO, SO2, CO2, CO, fine particles and hydrocarbons, ash, sludge, and burning waste heat [118, 119]. It induces indoor and outdoor air pollution that affects human health; immunosuppression in the nasal passages; chronic obstructive lung damage; and ischaemic heart problems; nasopharynx and gastrointestinal colon tumors [119, 120]. Intended to prevent the effects of solid fuel involves improving low-emission cooking stoves, higher-quality cooking stoves, and gaseous fuels. Alternative methods for the use of solid fuel are natural gas and biogas produced through biological processes (anaerobic digestion) or thermal combustion processes (gas-producing systems) [119].
3.3.3.2 Gaseous Fuel
Anaerobic digestion seems to be a readily available renewable energy source extracted from organic energy sources under anaerobic conditions. Biogas conversion into energy is the traditional method, but it is still used as bio-CNG in India. In 2020, the production and reach of biogas’ transformation to power in Punjab in India were first explored by Singh et al. [121]. India is the third-largest power consumer and the emitting nation of greenhouse gases. Among all the states in India, Punjab is the country’s largest biomass producer [121]. For energy production, Punjab has much organic waste (animal waste, livestock, and household waste) from largescale biogas power plants that are more feasible and environmentally sustainable. In India, residues of crops, animal manure, and urban solid waste, municipal and industrial effluent are significant contributors to biogas generation. The biogas capacity is projected to range from 310 to 655 billion m3 per year based on various resources in the year 2040. Implementation of low-cost biogas (household biogas unit) anaerobic digestion technology for integrated waste management and energy production achieves renewable energy growth, solves rural problems, and high-quality biofertilizers through the management and stabilization of organic waste [122]. CH4, CO2, and N2 were the major biogas compositions [65].
The production of energy from biogas has had a smaller impact on climate change than the current power mix. To avoid this impact and improve bioenergy’s environmental sustainability, Lijó et al. [63] suggested that relevant guidelines should be created to achieve harmonized lire cycle studies. Activated persulfate is a potent oxidant that enhances the production of biogas by enhancing organic hydrolysis. There are three types of activation for persulfate activation, including heating, lighting, and ultrasonication [65]. Waste biomass by dark fermentation processes produces H2 gas [113, 123]. In integrated systems incorporating microbial electrolysis cells, H2 production is combined with waste treatment. H2 gas is commonly used in the chemical industry and fuel cell vehicles [123]. The commercialization of H2 gas fuel, production costs are the main problems.
3.3.3.3 Liquid Biofuel
Liquid biofuels, through a range of technical processing pathways, each with distinct properties, produce several different fuels from organic materials. Biofuels’ development involves ethanol and biodiesel production from feedstocks such as cereals, carbohydrates, petroleum crops, and urban waste [124]. There is a tremendous opportunity for other biofuels dependent on cellulosic feedstocks, diverse waste sources, and algae in the future. Though some of these are currently in the industry’s early commercial stage, most of these emerging developments remain in the pre-commercial period [124]. Bioethanol is known to be an environmentally friendly gasoline [44]. In 2017, biofuels of 138 billion liters were produced. Of global biofuel production, 62% was for bioethanol derived from sugar crops (sugarcane, maize). Bioethanol production continues to be dominated by the USA and Brazil, with the region accounting for 87% of the global output [124]. Bioethanol derived from biomass were blended after testing corrosion resistance in the following proportions: E5 (5%), E10 (10%), E20 (20%) and E85 (85%) [125]. These proportions support the use of blended gasoline in renewable technology. Biodiesel has similar chemical and physical properties to diesel, and an eventually reduced carbon state, sustainable conventional gasoline [126]. Mohadesi et al. [99] developed biodiesel from low-cost bio-waste for fuel preparation, including potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a microreactor stimulant by transesterification process. Srikanth et al. [100] showed that the use of acetone (ACE) and diethyl ether (DEE) increased the production of biodiesel through dairy washed milk scum (DWMS) from industrial dairy waste. The food-based biomass did not reach the bioenergy crisis because of certain disadvantages. The researchers, therefore, focused on producing biodiesel from microalgae [127].
3.4 Future Trends
To achieve sustainable renewable energy instead of non-renewable energy resources, research, and development (R&D) have developed advanced technologies. BPCL, IIT, TERI, and CRRI are currently undertaking research in Delhi in India on improvement in the thermal efficiency of LPG stoves; conversion of second-generation (2G) biomass into bio-methanol and other useful by-products; testing of a biomass gasifier system downstream supplemented by hydrogen enrichment by air vapor gasification; and development of traffic circulation planning methodology [2]. Gaseous fuel generation from animal residues shows a negative impact due to the evolution of methane gas rather than from agricultural residues. Hence, advanced research is in progress to focus on efficient biomass conversion through various developed technologies and less expensive techniques with a higher energy yield.
3.5 Conclusion
An entire study concisely shows the importance of biomass for sustainable energy development concerning biomass impact, which supports industrialists’ needs to govern the largescale energy sector and policymakers to explore different biomass for sustainable energy production. This chapter also provides a framework for researchers to emphasize energy generation from various biomass sources through affordable and better productive technologies. The current status of renewable energy resources available in abundance for human consumption and the energy sector has been documented. The distribution of energy from renewable resources in both the world and India has been compiled and depicted in the form of a graphic representation. Global energy consumption and CO2 emissions, the reason for the energy crisis, and an adequate solution to the energy crisis have been proposed. Implementation of various advanced technologies for converting biomass of five categories into energy; first-, second-, third-, and fourth-generation of biomass and waste resources were reviewed and compiled. Method of conversion by advanced thermochemical and biological processes into useful bioproducts (biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, biochar, etc.) has been defined clearly in this chapter. The conversion of cellulose-rich biomass by pre-treatment, saccharification, and different fermentation processes has been explored. Overall, this chapter will serve as a baseline for further exploration and assessment of biomass’s impact and its productive utilization.
Acknowledgment
We are indebted to The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University), Gandhigram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India for providing Grammarly and iThenticate plagiarism assessment.
References
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