This chapter discusses leading problems linked to energy that the world is now confronting and to propose some ideas concerning possible solutions. Oil deserves special attention among all energy sources. Since the beginning of 1981, it has merely been continuing and enhancing the downward movement in consumption and prices caused by excessive rises, especially for light crudes such as those from Africa, and the slowing down of worldwide economic growth. Densely-populated oil-producing countries need to produce to live, to pay for their food and their equipment. If the economic growth of the industrialized countries were to be 4%, even if investment in the rational use of energy were pushed to the limit and the development of nonpetroleum energy sources were also pursued actively, it would be extremely difficult to prevent a sharp rise in prices. It is evident that it is absolutely necessary to pursue actively the development of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power if a physical shortage of energy is not to block economic growth.

World energy outlook

Plant biomass are woody and non-wood materials (e.g., oil palm, bamboo, rattan, bagasse, and kenaf) and are abundant and renewable resource. Unfortunately, the heavy reliance on this resource is a threat to forest ecosystems and a recipe for accelerated land resource degradation. Due to the increasing scarcity of wood resources, many rural communities have shifted to utilization of crop residues for many different applications. The non-wood biomass is readily available, environmental friendly, and technologically suitable, and therefore, an excellent raw material for the future. The non-wood materials like bamboo, rattan, oil palm, and bagasse have superior properties and durability, which can be further prolonged by the modifi cation treatment. The modifi cation treatments increase the performance of the non-wood and could make it suitable for applications in many fi elds ranging from construction industry to automotive industry. This chapter deals with the properties improvement techniques of the selected non-wood biomasses and evaluates its applications for various purposes. The new developments dealing with the improvement of non-wood properties have also been presented in the chapter. The performance of non-wood biomass materials has been compared to the wood-based materials. Recent studies pertaining to the above topics have also been cited. Finally, the advanced applications of the improved non-wood biomasses have been highlighted.

Biomass and bioenergy

Algae as potential feedstock for the production of biofuels and value-added products: Opportunities and challenges

Anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) offers the possibility of a clean and renewable energy source – i.e. biogas. However, OFMSW lacks certain characteristics that may limit its efficacy as such a resource. Bio-resources such as sewage sludge and animal wastes have these characteristics and so may be used to enhance OFMSW's digestion. Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of OFMSW with sewage sludge has been extensively studied and applied successfully at full-scale. Pre-treatments can increase substrate biodegradability and so biogas yield, but these may need further investigation to determine economic viability. Mathematical modeling has been shown useful in aiding selection of appropriate combinations of substrates and pretreatment for co-digestion (e.g. substrate type and mix ratio). This review also considers the fate of the digestate following such anaerobic co-digestion. The difficulties in implementation of the co-digestion approach need not necessarily be technical in nature but can be due to management issues.

Anaerobic co-digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW): Progress and challenges

Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests are widely used for characterizing a substrate’s influence on the anaerobic digestion process. As of 2018, there continues to be a lack of standardization of units and techniques, which impacts the comparability and validity of BMP results. However, BMP methods continue to evolve, and key aspects are studied to further eliminate systematic errors. This paper aims to update these key aspects with the latest research progress both to introduce the importance of each variable to those new to BMP measurements and to show the complexity required to design an accurate BMP test.

Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) Assay Method for Anaerobic Digestion Research

Biogas produced during anaerobic digestion (AD) of biodegradable organic materials AD is a series of biochemical reactions in which microorganisms degrade organic matter under anaerobic conditions There are many biomass resources that can be degraded by AD to produce biogas Biogas consists of methane, carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases The gamut of feedstocks used in AD includes animal manure, municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, and various crops Several factors affect the potential of feedstocks for biomethane production The factors include nutrient content, total and volatile solids (VS) content, chemical and biological oxygen demand, carbon/nitrogen ratio, and presence of inhibitory substances The biochemical methane potential (BMP), often defined as the maximum volume of methane produced per g of VS substrate provides an indication of the biodegradability of a substrate and its potential to produce methane via AD The BMP test is a method of establishing a baseline for performance of AD BMP data are useful for designing AD parameters in order to optimise methane production Several methods which include experimental and theoretical methods can be used to determine BMP The objective of this paper is to review several methods with a special focus on their advantages and disadvantages The review shows that experimental methods, mainly the BMP test are widely used The BMP test is credited for its reliability and validity There are variants of BMP assays as well Theoretical models are alternative methods to estimate BMP They are credited for being fast and easy to use Spectroscopy has emerged as a new experimental tool to determine BMP Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages with reference to efficacy, time, and ease of use Choosing a method to use depends on various exigencies More work needs to be continuously done in order to improve the various methods used to determine BMP

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Methods for determination of biomethane potential of feedstocks: a review

A systematic literature review was conducted to compare the efficacy of biological, chemical, physical, and combined pretreatments in enhancing biomethane production from crop residues (CR). Three electronic databases viz., Science Direct, EBSCOhost, and PubMed were used to identify the studies in literature. The pretreatment methods were compared in terms of their advantages and disadvantages with reference to techno-economic aspects. The techno-economic aspects considered included rate of hydrolysis, energy use, effectiveness, cost, and formation of toxic compounds. A total of 3167 studies, covering the period 2014 - 2018, were screened for relevance to the study. Forty-four records (n=44) consisting of 36 research papers (n=36) and eight narrative reviews (n=8) met the inclusion criteria. The results show that physical and chemical methods are the most effective and fastest. These methods have limited utility due to high cost of resources, operation, and energy as well as formation of inhibitory by-products. Despite generation of toxic compounds, combined methods are regarded as fast and costeffective. Biological method is inexpensive, eco-friendly, and low energy-consuming. However, it is a nascent technology that is still developing. A combination of trends in research and development provide the best pretreatment alternative to improve the biomethane production from CR.

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Comparison of pretreatment methods that enhance biomethane production from crop residues - a systematic review.

Biomass supplies about 66% of total energy consumption in Zimbabwe In recent times there has been an increasing interest in the country to increase the utilization of biomass resources for energy purposes The major biomass materials found in Zimbabwe are fuelwood, crop and forestry residues, animal dung, energy crops, municipality and industrial wastes Biomass energy conversion technologies include anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, gasification, transesterification, fermentation and combustion The premise of this paper is that as a component of a renewable energy mix, biomass should play an important role in sustainable energy systems in Zimbabwe With an estimated total energy value of 409 pJ, biomass is a huge energy resource for the country and must be optimally exploited However, traditional utilization of solid biomass materials as a primary source of energy continues to be prevalent in Zimbabwe today The trend should be to move from traditional biomass energy to improved and modern biomass energy technologies This is evidenced by numerous projects that have been undertaken in pursuit of this endeavor The aim of this paper is to review the state of biomass energy technologies in Zimbabwe with a view to provide aggregated information that will inform research, development and policies related to biomass energy

Reckson Kamusoko

Papers

Methods for determination of biomethane potential of feedstocks: a review

Comparison of pretreatment methods that enhance biomethane production from crop residues - a systematic review.

A review of the state of biomass energy technologies in Zimbabwe

Utility of Jatropha for Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals and Emerging Contaminants of Water Resources: A Review

A competency framework for internal quality assurance in higher education