Unlocking the Potential Applications of Bamboo, as an Energy Resource and Bamboo-Based Activated Carbon: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Bamboo appears as a highly promising and sustainable resource for sustainable activated carbon production because it grows fast and is abundantly available in nature while offering various environmental benefits. Bamboo is one among the fastest-growing plants, reaching maturity in 3 to 5 years; it can even successfully grow on degraded or marginal lands to prevent competition against food crops and help in soil restoration. The bamboo biomass can be processed into an array of energy forms, including solid fuels like charcoal, liquid fuels like bioethanol, and gaseous fuels like biogas and syngas, through thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes. Especially activated carbon from bamboo, which is prepared through controlled pyrolysis and activation processes, is highly expected to have some potential uses for water purification, air filtration, energy storage, and soil amendment. Bamboo cultivation, apart from its environmental considerations, also farms rural livelihoods and creates energy independence locally in developing areas. Sustainability in bamboo usage is hindered by factors such as ecological implications of massive monoculture bamboo plantations, variable maturity cycles of numerous species, and the considerable necessity of finding efficient supply chains and harvesting methods. These barriers are being overcome by means of technology. Technological advancement is steadily addressing these barriers in the form of improved pyrolysis and gasification units, integration of biochar production, and research on high-performance bamboo-derived carbon for batteries and electronics, all of which widen the application base of bamboo-based activated carbon. Nevertheless, to realize bamboo’s enormous potential requires policy support, market development, and continued investment in infrastructure and innovation. The present work gives an overview of bamboo and its wide application base especially as an energy resource, along with a discussion on activated carbon and biomass-based activated carbon uses. Bamboo-based activated carbon (BBAC) can act as replacement of conventional activated carbons which is depicted through its variable utilisation in the field of adsorption, water treatment and air filtration. New applications of BBAC in the field of energy storage (supercapacitors and batteries) exhibiting good electrochemical performances are also discussed. The goal should be to focus on interdisciplinary research and community involvement so that scalable solutions are devised to counter logistical, ecological and processing challenges.