Valorising Agricultural Residues into Pellets in a Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy

Abstract

It is a truism by now that the combustion of fossil fuels has execaerbated climate change, and its repercussions. Biomass in pelletised form, will emerge as substitutes, in the circular bioeconomies of the future. This brief review focuses on the utilisation of agricultural residues as raw materials for pellets, and explores the aspects of sustainability – socio-cultural, economic, environmental, and techno-functional – in the 20-plus peer-reviewed articles selected for that purpose using Scopus with a set of search-phrases. The articles are case studies dated between 2012 to 2023, tracing their provenance to different countries in the world – Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Zambia, etc. Among the many gleanings which are reported in this review, some deserve mention here in the abstract. The social aspect of sustainability has not been studied as much as the economic and environmental. The case studies emphasize the importance of adapting the pelleting process to the properties of the agricultural/horticultural residues and the prevalent local conditions. It is encouraging to note that there is a surfeit of agricultural residues (corn, coffee, quinoa, beans, oats, wheat, olives, tomatoes, pomegranates, grapes, etc. in the articles reviewed) which can be valorised to pellets, also in combination with the in-vogue forestry wastes. This is more advisable if the status quo is open burning of such residues in the fields. The journey towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs) will be aided by investments in such biorefinery-projects, SDG 17 is extremely vital for their success – collaboration and cooperation among several stakeholders around the world. This review, though based on only 20-plus articles from around the world, is an in-depth analysis which promises to be of interest to decision-makers and sustainability-specialists keen on contributing to the transition to a circular bioeconomy.