But a solution is in the works that will utilize renewable feedstocks from sugar cane, corn, corn cobs, switchgrass or other biomasses rather than petroleum.
Until recently the drive to discover and utilize renewable feedstocks for the production of energy and for the manufacture of materials was exceptionally strong.
This work investigates the design and modeling of fully integrated processes which utilize renewable feedstocks as raw materials by evaluating alternative technology options and possible process integrations to select the optimal configuration according to calculated process yields and economic profit criteria.
Biological processes are particularly attractive since microorganisms usually utilize renewable feedstocks and produce much fewer toxic by-products.
Currently, strain optimization to utilize various feedstocks (for example, starch, sugarcane, agricultural residues, industrial waste, forest residues, energy crops, et cetera) [ 6, 7], desired products spectrum (for example, biofuels and building block chemicals), and higher yields, which have made great progress in the past decades and provided a basis for industrial applications [ 1- 5].
What is absolutely necessary is that more efficient ways are needed of utilizing nonrenewable feedstocks.
A reliable biological process for isoprene production utilizing renewable feedstocks would be an industry-redefining development.
Recently, microalgae and cyanobacteria have been utilized as feedstocks for biorefinery processes, to produce third-generation fuels, due to their high photosynthetic efficiency compared with sugar or starch crops such as sugar cane and corn, and CO2-neutral fuel production (Schenk et al. [2008]; Nguyen et al. [2012]; Aikawa et al. [2013]).
Biotechnological processes are particularly attractive since microorganisms usually utilize renewable feedstock and only produce few toxic by-products.
Heat can be produced from coal for around 3 €/GJ due to utilizing inexpensive feedstocks with high conversion efficiency (about 100%), while the raw material costs for electricity is double (6 €/GJ) due to a conversion yield of about 50%.
