1/8/10, 15:48

Bioenergy and the potential contribution of agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries

El presente artículo de revisión enfoca el uso de las biotecnologías como herramientas para producir bioenergía a partir de la biomasa y convertirla en biocombustibles. Se discuten las aplicaciones para la generación de biocombustibles de primera y segunda generación y en menor medida la producción de biogas y de biodiesel a partir de microalgas.

John Ruane, Andrea Sonnino, Astrid Agostini

Biomass and Bioenery 34 (2010), 1427-1439

 

We provide an overview of the current status of bioenergy development, focusing on firstand second-generation liquid biofuels, considering drivers of growth and risks that have raised concerns over recent years. We also describe the main areas where biotechnologies are being, or can be, applied for production of first- and second-generation biofuels as well as microalgal biodiesel and biogas. Greatest attention is paid to second-generation biofuels in the review because of the large expectations they have created and because of the significant role that biotechnology applications are likely to play in their development. We close with some specific considerations regarding applying biotechnologies for bioenergy development in developing countries.