Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Production of Biofuels from Agricultural Waste

Francis Mekunye, Peter Makinde

Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · pp. 37–49 · Published 15 Jul 2024

10.9734/ajahr/2024/v11i3328

Abstract

Agricultural waste represents a largely untapped resource that could be utilized for the production of biofuels through various conversion pathways. As the global demand for renewable and sustainable energy grows, biofuels offer solutions to mitigate climate change impacts while improving waste management. This review analyzes using agricultural residues and by-products as feedstocks for biofuel production through biological, thermochemical and chemical conversion processes. The different types of lignocellulosic biomass available from agricultural activities are discussed, along with their compositions. While agricultural waste has advantages like wide availability and low cost, challenges relating to heterogeneous composition, pre-existing contamination and seasonal availability must be addressed. Fermentation, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and gasification are examined as established routes for converting agricultural waste into liquid biofuels and biogas. Pretreatment methods, enzyme production pathways and synthesis of fuels like ethanol, butanol and diesel substitutes are outlined. Environmental benefits of biofuels from waste, including greenhouse gas mitigation and recycling of soil nutrients, are evaluated against fossil fuel alternatives. Case studies on operational plants and feasibility studies provide insights into technical and economic viability at scale. Challenges regarding feedstock logistics, conversion efficiency, commercial scale-up and sustainability assessment are identified for future research focus. In conclusion, the review finds that agricultural waste is a promising renewable resource for biofuel production when integrated with appropriate thermochemical, biochemical or anaerobic digestion technologies. While the field is advancing, further improvements in areas such as feedstock supply, pretreatment technologies, and demonstration of sustainability will be critical to realize the full potential of this emerging bioeconomy sector. The review recommends steps to accelerate commercialization and policy frameworks to incentivize waste-to-energy solutions.

Agricultural waste lignocellulosic biomass fermentation anaerobic digestion pyrolysis gasification sustainability biofuels

References (34)

  1. 1 Lignocellulosic agriculture wastes as biomass feedstocks for second-generation bioethanol production: concepts and recent developments [DOI]
  2. 2 Agricultural waste management strategies for environmental sustainability [DOI]
  3. 3 Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass: Challenges and opportunities [DOI]
  4. 4 Main routes for the thermo-conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals. Part 1: Pyrolysis systems [DOI]
  5. 5 Biofuels securing the planet’s future energy needs [DOI]
  6. 6 Agricultural waste: Review of the evolution, approaches and perspectives on alternative uses [DOI]
  7. 7 Improvement of microbial strains and fermentation processes [DOI]
  8. 8 Evaluation of thermochemical routes for hydrogen production from biomass: A review [DOI]
  9. 9 A research challenge vision regarding management of agricultural waste in a circular bio-based economy [DOI]
  10. 10 Progress in microwave pyrolysis conversion of agricultural waste to value-added biofuels: A batch to continuous approach [DOI]
  11. 11 Production technologies, current role, and future prospects of biofuels feedstocks: A state-of-the-art review [DOI]
  12. 12 A review of thermochemical conversion of microalgal biomass for biofuels: chemistry and processes [DOI]
  13. 13 Waste-to-nutrition: a review of current and emerging conversion pathways [DOI]
  14. 14 Bio-Oil: The Next-Generation Source of Chemicals [DOI]
  15. 15 The biochemurgist –Bioconversion of agricultural raw materials for chemical production [DOI]
  16. 16 Fischer-Tropsch route for the conversion of biomass to liquid fuels - Technical and economic analysis [DOI]
  17. 17 Agricultural Waste: A Suitable Source for Biofuel Production [DOI]
  18. 18 Biofuels and Sustainability [DOI]
  19. 19 Techniques to Detect Fake Profiles on Social Media Using the New Age Algorithms - A Survey [DOI]
  20. 20 Organic wastes of Citrus sinensis Peels- a source of eco-friendly and sustainable bioactive compounds for promoting health [DOI]
  21. 21 Refinements of generalised Hermite-Hadamard inequality [DOI]
  22. 22 Impact of Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention on Alleviating Depression and Anxiety in Mathematics: Enhancing Students’ Learning Experience and Academic Performance [DOI]
  23. 23 Sustainable Biofuels Redux [DOI]
  24. 24 Metformin-induced oxidative stress inhibits LNCaP prostate cancer cell survival [DOI]
  25. 25 Implementation of solar system for electricity generation for rural farmers: A review [DOI]
  26. 26 The Influence of Fieldtrip as a Practical Skill Acquisition Technique in Biology Education [DOI]
  27. 27 Examining Students’ Concept Images in Mathematics: The Case of Undergraduate Calculus [DOI]
  28. 28 Some Refinement of Holder’s and Its Reverse Inequality [DOI]
  29. 29 Determinants of birth registration and certification in Southwest Ethiopia: implication for a new strategy to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [DOI]
  30. 30 Evaluation of Iodine and Goitrogens in Selected Vegetables from Owerri Imo State in Nigeria [DOI]
  31. 31 Role of renin angiotensin system inhibitors and metformin in Glioblastoma Therapy: a review [DOI]
  32. 32 Nucleic acid biomarker technology for cancer immunotherapy [DOI]
  33. 33 Metformin Induced Oxidative Stress Alters Transsulfuration Pathway and Inhibits Prostate Cancer Cell Growth [DOI]
  34. 34 Effects of migration on Sudanese women and children: a public health concern [DOI]

Cited by 40

Enhancing Sustainable Energy Through Cutting-Edge Waste Biorefinery Technologies

Yen-Yi Lee, Masimukku Srinivaas, I-Cheng Li · Reactions · 2024

A comprehensive review on biomass energy system optimization approaches: Challenges and issues

Masoud Ahmadipour, Hussein Mohammed Ridha, Zaipatimah Ali · International Journal of Hydrogen Energy · 2025

Recent Advances in Sustainable Biodiesel Production from Meliaceae Plants

Abubakar Aji, Mysara Eissa Mohyaldinn, Hisham Khaled Ben Mahmud · Karya International Journal of Biofuel and Bioenergy · 2025

Waste to Biofuel: Process Design and Optimisation for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production from Corn Stover

Nur Aina Najihah Halimi, Ademola Odunsi, Alex Sebastiani · Energies · 2025

Showing 15 of 40 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

54

Page views

0

PDF downloads

4

Outbound clicks

40

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.