Is biomass liquefaction an option for the viability of poplar short rotation coppices? A preliminary experimental approach

Global renewable energy supply is expected to grow in the next three decades to address the issues related to mitigation of atmospheric carbon emissions. Within this scenario, biomass is a renewable resource that, due to its local availability is expected to play a prominent role. Cultivations specifically aimed to biomass production, such as woody short rotation coppices (SRCs), are a promising option for biomass supply in as much as these cultivations are carbon neutral along their life cycle. Nowadays, SRCs are not economically feasible and in the countries where they are implemented on a commercial scale, public subsidies are still needed. We propose that biomass liquefaction can be a possible route for the generation of high valued chemical products and thereby to potentiate the increase of areas allocated to SRCs and at the same time producing a liquid biofuel. By doing so, we believe that a parallel economic cycle can be generated allowing SRCs to be self-sustainable. The work on poplar biomass liquefaction developed so far discloses the high calorific value of bio-oil obtained in comparison with that from fossil fuels. Some preliminary chemical characteristics of the products obtained from liquefaction, are also presented.