Biomass and Biofuels Advanced Biorefineries for Sustainable Production and Distribution

The long-held tenets of the energy sector are being rewritten in the twenty-first century. The rise of unconventional oil and gas and of renewables is transforming our economies and improving our understanding of the distribution of the world?s energy resources and their impacts. A complete knowledge of the dynamics underpinning energy markets is necessary for decision-makers reconciling economic, energy, and environmental objectives.

Those that anticipate global energy developments successfully can derive an advantage, while those that fail to do so risk making poor policy and investment decisions. Focused on solving the key challenges impeding the realization of advanced cellulosic biofuels and bioproducts in rural areas, Biomass and Biofuels: Advanced Biorefineries for Sustainable Production and Distribution provides comprehensive information on sustainable production of biomass feedstock, supply chain management of feedstocks to the biorefinery site, advanced conversion processes, and catalysts/biocatalysts for production of fuels and chemicals using conventional and integrated technologies.

The book also presents detailed coverage of downstream processing, and ecological considerations for refineries processing lignocellulosic and algal biomass resources. Discussions of feedstock raw materials, methods for biomass conversion, and its effective integration to make biorefinery more sustainable ? economically, environmentally, and socially ? give you the tools to make informed decisions.

Biomass Feedstock and Logistics. Conversion Processes. Ecological Economics and Policy. Case Studies.

Dr. Shibu Jose is the Harold E. Garrett Endowed Chair Professor and director of the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Prior to his current appointment, he was professor of forest ecology at the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. He earned his BS from Kerala Agricultural University, India, and MS and PhD from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. His current research efforts focus on ecosystem services of agroforestry systems and ecological sustainability of biomass and biofuel production systems. Dr. Jose leads a regional consortium focused on commercializing integrated bio- mass and biofuels production systems, the Mississippi/Missouri River Advanced Biomass/Biofuel Consortium (MRABC). Dr. Jose has authored over 150 refereed publications, edited eight books, and secured nearly $39 million in funding ($10 million as PI). He has also served as major professor for 14 PhD students and 24 MS students during the past 17 years. He serves as editor-in-chief of Agroforestry Systems, academic editor of PLOS ONE, and editorial board member of International Journal of Ecology. His awards and honors include Fulbright Fellowship (U.S. Department of State), Aga Khan International Fellowship (Switzerland), Nehru Memorial Award for Scholastic Excellence (India), Award of Excellence in Research by the Southeastern Society of American Foresters (SAF), Stephen Spurr Award by the Florida Division SAF, the Young Forester Leadership Award by the National SAF, Barrington Moore Award by SAF, and the Scientific Achievement Award by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).

Dr. Thallada Bhaskar, a senior scientist, is currently heading the Thermo-Catalytic Processes Area, Bio-Fuels Division (BFD), at CSIR–Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, India. He earned a PhD for his work at CSIR–Indian Institute of Chemi