DEBATE OUTCOMES

Thermochemical points:

• It is impossible to generate all the bioethanol which could satisfy the demand of biofuels considering even all the Earth surface.
• High demand for liquid fuels.
• Enzymes represent 30 % of the cost of the bioplant.

Biochemical points:

• There are already bioplants in Italy which run and obtain incomes.
• 280 Biogas upgrading plants in operation in IEA Bioenergy.

Common points:

• Competition between food industry and biorefinery.
• Considering the carbon cycle, we should return some amount to the soil in order to reduce the environmental impact, deforestation…
• Petrochemical companies such as Shell and BP are interested in biorefinery, so this should have a perspective future.
• Complexity of lignin because of aromatic polymers, bend cleavages and solubility problems.
• Policy should encourage promising new technologies instead of relying on the old ones.
• In the future, if this technology developed properly, a balance between agriculture and biorefinery would have to be taken into account.

Audience points:

• Strict legislation to get rid of wastes in UK. Problems for anaerobic digestion.
• Landfilling in UK is very expensive.