BIOINNOVATION STRATEGIC AGENDA 1
3.3 Chemicals and Energy Chemicals and fuels from
biomass are two important areas of development that can make a big difference in the creation of sustainable development. Just as today's oil refineries utilise the various fractions of crude oil, the biorefineries can play an important role if they succeed in processing all the constituents of the biomass: cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, extractives and proteins. This is a challenge, but the composition of the raw materials of the biomass also provides opportunities to develop products with unique functions and properties. The complex and varied composition of the biomass requires new and improved processes both for separation and for fractionation of constituent components, as well as for the conversion and purification of products. The same goes for recycling and circulation of bio-based products. For this development to be possible, it is crucial that more processes and products – both bulk products and high-quality specialty chemicals – are integrated into production systems. This is so that the total raw material and residual flows can be utilised in a resource-efficient way that creates value. 14