Parratt & Associates Scoping Biorefineries: Temperate Biomass Value Chains


Biobased Products – Increasing Value Creation in a Bioeconomy



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2.7 Biobased Products – Increasing Value Creation in a Bioeconomy


Biobased products derived from renewable resources can deliver positive environmental effects and improved product characteristics, while reducing Australia’s crude oil and oil-derived raw polymer imports40. Life-cycle assessments of biobased products have been limited, but results to date suggest that

products can have clear environmental benefits. Assessments also indicate areas where process improvements could have a large impact on sustainability outcomes. Biobased industries in the rural sector can generate demand for higher value crops or create more value from currently produced biomass, while encouraging the establishment of regional bio-industries. Evidence from interviews and reports suggest that Australia currently lacks a shared understanding of the benefits of biobased products and their potential to reduce our dependence on imported oil and polymers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster home-grown industries to stimulate a sustainable, value-adding manufacturing sector. The US government’s bio-preferred procurement program illustrates one step possible in helping develop this clearer understanding (www.biopreferred.org) of the benefits of developing a bioeconomy.

The value chain for bio-product development will begin with the development of in planta modification of crops (both GMO and through plant breeding), access to waste streams (crop and forest residues) and plantation forests. However, there are obstacles to development at almost every point along the value chain. Figure 2-2 identifies the major components in the development of a series of potentially valuable biobased products produced in a sustainable fashion. This current report addresses various aspects of the value chain, some in greater detail than others and delves deeper into the critical areas and obstacles to the development of the value chain for biomass conversion to bioproducts.

Figure2-2: Bio-product Value Chains41

The World Economic Forum42 report provided an analysis of the international value chain for future biorefineries. The authors identified five sectors and 3 additional subsectors that could be categorised as potential sources of additional revenue over the value chain. The table below provides a breakdown of the analysis;

Table 2-2: Revenue Potential along the International Biomass Value Chain (source: WEF 2010, The Future of Industrial Biorefineries)



Sector

Description of Activity

Estimated additional revenue by 2020 US$B

Percentage of total

Agricultural inputs

Seeds, Crop Protection, Fertilisers

15

5.1

Biomass Production

Energy Crops, Sugarcane, Short rotation forestry

89

30.2

Biomass Trading

Aggregation, logistics and trading

30

10.2

Biomass Power and Heat

Co-firing, dedicated heat and power

65

22

Biorefinery Inputs

Enzymes, organisms, pre-treatment chemicals

10

3.4

Biorefining chemicals and downstream chemistry

Fermentation of bulk chemistry, downstream reactions

6

2

Biorefining fuels

1st and 2nd generation biofuel production

80

27.1

Total




295

100

Each of these sectors and embedded activities is relevant to Australian value chains for temperate biomass in biorefineries. The following chapters emphasise existing biomass developments rather than future developments. In regard to agricultural inputs – a significant component of the value chain – only crop, plantation and forest residue inputs are considered. The production of biofuels has also been dealt with extensively in Australia and has been the subject of a number of studies by the Rural Industry Research Development Corporation. Biofuel production from temperate biomass offers significant potential within Australia; however, this study focuses on co-products of biomass transformation in biorefineries. The global trend is away from the creation of single product biorefineries (e.g. 1 generation ethanol plants) and toward multi-product refineries (e.g. 2stnd generation plants producing fuels and biobased chemicals, or fuel plus protein, or protein plus chemicals). Multi-product refineries, the products they produce, and the potential challenges are examined in more detail later in this report.

Key Messages :

Critical global risks are energy security; infrastructure for agriculture and sustainable growth; adaptation to climate change.



Four shocks that could impact Australia are; asset price collapse; oil and gas prices; extreme climate change; and biodiversity loss.

Australia’s has growing trade deficit due to importing oil and chemicals. This could be as high as $17.5B p.a. by 2020.



Biorefineries may impact negatively on water usage.

Biomass value chains are complex and are impacted by a variety of societal and legislative elements. Australia lacks a shared understanding of the benefits of biobased products and their potential to reduce our dependence on imported oil and chemicals, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to foster home-grown industries to stimulate a sustainable, value-adding manufacturing sector.



International research indicates annual revenues from global biomass value chains could exceed US$250B per annum.

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