Biorefineries: increased value from biomass conversion

Abstract: Biomass is much too precious to be used only for the production of heat and electricity. Biomass and biowaste have the potential to be used much higher up in the value chain, e.g. as food ingredients, animal feed, chemical building blocks, materials, fuels, and phosphorous-rich fertilizer. Biorefineries will take over from oil refineries. A biorefinery can use all of the different components in optimized value-adding purposes. They represent the next generation of industrial biotechnology, building on the use of microbes and microbial products to convert biomass. The bioeconomy will be a prominent part of smart and sustainable society in the future.