The Future Of Second-Generation Biomass

The promise of the second-generation (2G) bioconversion industry is that it will transform cellulosebased,nonedible biomass and agricultural waste into clean and affordable high-value fuels or chemicals. (Thefirst-generation, or 1G, technology converts edible biomass.) In this way, 2G could offer an alternative sourceboth of energy and of chemical-industry inputs, which other renewable technologies cannot provide.That is 2G’s potential, but the industry failed to deliver on this promise for almost a decade. However,there has been progress in recent years. Since the inauguration of the first commercial-scale 2G plant, in 2013,eight more have opened around the world, of which some, not surprisingly, are failing, while others areprogressing. Most are in North America, two are in Brazil, and one is in Europe—all markets with mature 1Gbiomass industries and governments that support cellulosic ethanol.Second-generation projects have also begun attracting interest in China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysiain the form of government initiatives to coordinate action and to facilitate the establishment of a 2G ethanolmarket. As these trends suggest, the technology could be approaching the acceleration phase that marked thedevelopment trajectory of other industries, such as wind power, solar energy, and shale gas. In each case,growth was modest at first and then took off . Drawing on more than 100 interviews with executives andexperts and on our work with key industry players, we have identified seven critical enablers in threechallenging areas—resources, management, and the market—that the 2G industry must address to ensurecontinued progress.

کلیدواژه ها:

Future ، Biomass ، Market