Sidestreams From Bioenergy and Biorefinery Complexes as a Resource for Circular Bioeconomy

Abstract One of the main drivers for the establishment of biorefineries and the drive toward bioeconomy is the call for sustainability. However, the modern-day biorefinery must embrace on the concept of whole-crop approach with complete feedstock utilization and zero waste, leading to a portfolio of valuable products in which food, feed, fuels, chemicals, and materials are produced. In this chapter, we address upon the prospective of improving the economics and carbon efficiency of existing bioenergy and biorefinery complexes through a circular bioeconomy-based whole-crop utilization. We emphasize hereupon the possibility to coproduce value-added products (e.g., chemicals, materials, or energy) from the various sidestreams or by-products generated from biorefinery operations such as CO 2 , glycerol, hemicelluloses, lignin, and extractives together with their potential as a raw material or chemical platform for the production of marketable products using available process technologies.