Recent advances in optimal design of thermochemical conversion of biomass to chemicals and liquid fuels

•Overview of recent achievements in design of thermochemical biorefineries.•The need for hybrid methods combining optimization and simulation approaches is discussed.•Challenges/opportunities in optimal design of thermochemical biorefineries are discussed.

The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the methods for optimal design of thermochemical-based biorefineries. Generally speaking, heuristics/knowledge based, steady-state simulation based and mathematical programming are three main approaches. Following a general introduction of thermochemical biomass transformations and brief highlights of main achievements in optimal design of thermochemical-based biorefineries, the associated future opportunities and challenges are presented. An attempt is made with this paper to trigger further efforts to systematically synthesize and design thermochemical biorefineries to accelerate the commercialization of biorefinery technology and further reduce the reliance on petroleum-derived fuels.