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Bioenergy is renewable energy obtained from biomass—any organic material that has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. Biogas is among the biofuels that can be obtained from biomass resources, including biodegradable wastes like manure, sewage sludge, the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes, slaughterhouse waste, crop residues, and more recently lignocellulosic biomass and algae. Within the framework of the circular economy, biogas production from biodegradable waste is particularly interesting, as it helps to save resources while reducing environmental pollution. Besides, lignocellulosic biomass and algae do not compete for arable land with food crops (in contrast with energy crops). Hence, they constitute a novel source of biomass for bioenergy.Biogas plants may involve both high-tech and low-tech digesters, ranging from industrial-scale plants to small-scale farms and even households. They pose an alternative for decentralized bioenergy production in rural areas. Indeed, the biogas produced can be used in heaters, engines, combined heat and power units, and even cookstoves at the household level. Notwithstanding, digesters are considered to be a sustainable technology that can improve the living conditions of farmers by covering energy needs and boosting nutrient recycling. Thanks to their technical, socio-economic, and environmental benefits, rural biogas plants have been spreading around the world since the 1970s, with a large focus on farm-based systems and households. However, several challenges still need to be overcome in order to improve the technology and financial viability.

Technology: general issues --- Environmental science, engineering & technology --- Mixing --- optimised --- household digester --- Chinese dome digester (CDD) --- self-agitation --- blank --- mixing --- Chinese dome digester --- impeller mixed digester --- unstirred digester --- hydraulically mixed --- total solids (TS) concentration --- plug-flow reactor --- anaerobic digestion --- animal manures --- biogas --- unconfined gas injection mixing --- mixing recirculation --- biomethane potential tests --- Italy --- manure --- energy crops --- agriculture residues --- digestate --- biochemical methane potential --- micro-aeration --- iron --- bioenergy --- H2S scrubber --- methane --- fermentation --- dairy --- poultry --- absorbent --- ammonia --- inhibition --- acclimatization --- trace elements --- anaerobic treatment --- energy assessment --- rural sanitation --- sludge --- wastewater --- agricultural runoff --- biomethane --- biorefinery --- microalgae --- photobioreactor --- pretreatment --- low cost digester --- psychrophilic anaerobic digestion --- thermal behavior --- anaerobic co-digestion --- slaughterhouse wastewater --- synergistic effects --- kinetic modeling --- biodegradability

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For a sustainable future, the need to use renewable sources to produce electricity is inevitable. Some of these sources—particularly the widely available solar power—are weather-dependent; therefore, utility-scale energy storage will be more and more important. These solar and wind power fluctuations range from minutes (passing cloud) to whole seasons (winter/summer differences). Short-term storage can be solved (at least theoretically) with batteries; however, seasonal storage—due to the amount of storable energy and the self-discharging of some storage methods—is still a challenge to be solved in the near future. We believe that biological Power-to-Methane technology—especially combined with biogas refinement—will be a significant player in the energy storage market within less than a decade. The technology produces high-purity methane, which can be considered—by using green energy and carbon dioxide of biological origin—as a Renewable Natural Gas, or RNG. The ease of storage and use of methane, as well as the effective carbon-freeness, can make it a competitor for batteries or hydrogen-based storage, especially for storage times exceeding several months.

Technology: general issues --- History of engineering & technology --- seasonal energy storage --- power-to-methane --- wastewater treatment plants --- techno-economic assessment --- power-to-gas --- regulation --- energy storage --- biogas --- biomethane --- disruptive technology --- decarbonization --- innovation --- Power-to-Gas --- Power-to-Fuel --- P2M --- P2G --- P2F --- biomethanization --- biomethanation --- competitiveness --- hydrogen utilization --- Hungary --- Power-to-X --- Power-to-Hydrogen --- Power-to-Methane --- hydrogen --- methanation --- sector coupling --- sectoral integration --- energy transition --- eFuels --- electric fuels --- 100% renewable energy scenarios --- thermophilic biogas --- fed-batch reactor --- Methanothermobacter --- metagenome --- starvation --- H2 and CO2 conversion --- methane --- acetate --- n/a

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Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the oldest biotechnological processes and originally referred to biomass degradation under anoxic conditions in both natural and engineered systems. It has been used for decades to treat various waste streams and to produce methane-rich biogas as an important energy carrier, and it has become a major player in electrical power production. AD is a popular, mature technology, and our knowledge about the influencing process parameters as well as about the diverse microbial communities involved in the process has increased dramatically over the last few decades. To avoid competition with food and feed production, the AD feedstock spectrum has constantly been extended to waste products either rich in recalcitrant lignocellulose or containing inhibitory substances such as ammonia, which requires application of various pre-treatments or specific management of the microbial resources. Extending the definition of AD, it can also convert gases rich in hydrogen and carbon dioxide into methane that can substitute natural gas, which opens new opportunities by a direct link to traditional petrochemistry. Furthermore, AD can be coupled with emerging biotechnological applications, such as microbial electrochemical technologies or the production of medium-chain fatty acids by anaerobic fermentation. Ultimately, because of the wide range of applications, AD is still a very vital field in science. This Special Issue highlights some key topics of this research field.

Research & information: general --- Biology, life sciences --- anaerobic digestion --- solid digestate --- milling process --- sugars recovery --- energy balances --- bioethanol production --- biogas upgrading --- biomethane --- bio-succinic acid --- CO2 utilization --- feasibility assessment --- acetate --- lactate --- inoculum --- food waste --- sewage sludge --- lactic acid bacteria --- cattle manure --- steam explosion --- pre-treatment --- UASB --- co-digestion --- biogas --- high-rate anaerobic digestion --- energy recovery --- granular sludge --- renewable energy --- decentralized wastewater treatment --- two-stage anaerobic digestion --- Anammox --- enzyme application --- rheology of digestate --- methane --- aquaculture --- trout --- sludge --- wastewater --- drum sieve --- microfiltration --- settling --- waste-to-energy --- wet waste --- bioenergy --- techno-economic analysis --- ammonia inhibition --- chicken manure --- dairy cow manure --- high-solids anaerobic digestion --- inoculum adaptation --- volatile fatty acids --- dry batch anaerobic digestion --- percolation --- permeability --- Salmonella spp. --- Escherichia coli O157 --- Listeria monocytogenes --- Enterococcus faecalis --- Clostridium spp. --- digestate --- pathogens --- sustainable farming --- anaerobic digester --- antibiotics removal --- antimicrobial --- chlortetracycline --- Tylosin --- n/a

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The focus of this Special Issue was on biomass ash valorization with respect to their potential for various material applications. Most of the publications in this Special Issue focused on the production of biogenic silica with different properties. Additionally, some of the publications considered application of biomass ashes and biochar as a fertilizer, for soil amendment and recovery of ash forming elements such as N and P, as well as the application of biomass feedstocks in biofuel production.Accordingly, ashes produced from the thermochemical conversion of agricultural residues have high potential to be utilized for different material applications. However, local availability, as well as scaling up the process and life-cycle assessment should be considered prior to the utilization of these materials. Furthermore, densification as a mechanical pre-treatment can be crucial to improve the fuel properties, while purification of some of the ash forming elements, such as calcium, potassium, and prosperous should also not be disregarded in future investigations.

Technology: general issues --- rice husk --- rice husk ash --- silica --- engineered particle --- bottom-up process --- silica extraction --- valorization --- agricultural byproduct --- sustainable material --- biomass --- renewable material --- biogenic amorphous silica --- green chemistry --- maize leaves --- sugarcane fiber --- sugarcane leaves --- sugarcane pith --- biorefinery --- multi-objectives RSM --- nano-silica --- de-ashing --- cellulose crystals --- carbon nanotubes --- cellulose --- sugarcane bagasse --- capacitance --- maize straw --- acid leaching --- ash --- pyrolysis --- nitrogen conversion --- wood ash --- fertilizer --- heat and power plants --- heavy metals --- nutrients --- German fertilizer legislation --- alkaline leaching --- continuous process --- bio-based material --- waste --- exhausted grape marc --- biochar --- soil amendment --- biogas --- lifecycle assessment --- greenhouse gas emissions --- mitigation potential --- GHG mitigation costs --- manure --- biomethane --- RED II --- EU ETS --- smoldering --- high moisture content --- specific surface area --- rice straw --- nanosilica --- methylene blue --- zero waste generation --- decolorization --- SDGs --- municipal sewage sludge --- energy recovery --- phosphorus recovery --- techno-economic analysis --- mono-combustion --- co-combustion --- n/a

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Biomass can be used as feedstock for the production of biomaterials, chemicals, platform molecules and biofuels. It is the most reliable alternative to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Within the framework of the circular economy, resource recovery from organic waste, including sewage sludge, biowaste, manure and slaughterhouse waste, is particularly useful, as it helps saving resources while reducing environmental pollution. In contrast to energy crops, lignocellulosic biomass and algae do not compete for food production; therefore, they represent an important source of biomass for bioenergy and bioproducts. However, biomass may require a pretreatment step in order to enhance its conversion into valuable products in terms of process yield and/or productivity. Furthermore, a pretreatment step may be mandatory for waste management (i.e., animal by-products).Pretreatment technologies are applied upstream of various conversion processes of biomass into biofuels or biomaterials, including bioethanol, biohydrogen, biomethane, biomolecules or bioproducts. Pretreatments may include mechanical, thermal, chemical and biological techniques, which represent a crucial, cost-intensive step for the development of biorefineries. Thus, research is needed to help identify the most effective, economic, and environmentally friendly pretreatment options for each feedstock. This Special Issue aims to gather recent developments of biomass pretreatments for bioproduct and biofuel production.

Technology: general issues --- biomass --- valorisation --- ionic liquid --- crystallinity --- enzymatic hydrolysis --- pre-treatment --- acidogenic fermentation --- hydrothermal treatment --- source separated organics --- volatile fatty acids --- particulate organics solubilization --- microbial community analysis --- Pennisetum alopecuroides --- dilute alkaline pretreatment --- ferric chloride pretreatment --- bioethanol --- biomethane --- citrus peel waste --- biorefinery --- biorefinery residues --- ADM1 --- anaerobic digestion --- aqueous ammonia soaking pre-treatment --- continuous --- digested manure fibers --- modelling --- acetic acid --- butyric acid --- HRT --- pH --- propionic acid --- steam treatment --- pretreatment --- lignocellulose --- biochemical methane potential --- lithium --- sugarcane bagasse --- saccharification --- glycosyl-hydrolase --- ToF-SIMS --- surface ion distribution --- second-generation ethanol --- microwave pretreatment --- grass biomass --- p-hydroxycinnamic acids extraction --- lignocellulosic biomass --- NaOH pretreatment --- bioreactor experiments --- inhibition --- grass lawn waste --- whole slurry --- separated fractions --- alkali --- acid --- energy balance --- economical assessment --- municipal sludge --- thermal pretreatment --- microwave --- contaminants of emerging concern --- personal care products --- antimicrobial disinfectants --- triclosan --- ultra-high performance liquid chromatography --- tandem mass spectrometry --- biogas production --- fruit and vegetable harvesting wastes --- process optimization --- thermo chemical pretreatment --- biogas yield --- waste activated sludge --- electro-Fenton --- disintegration --- dewaterability --- mechanical pretreatments --- agricultural wastes --- rheology --- physical properties