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Bamboo as a Cost-Effective Source of Renewable Carbon for Sustainable Economic Development in Low- and Middle-Income Economies

Author

Listed:
  • Nneka B. Ekwe

    (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja 900107, Nigeria
    Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Abuja, Abuja 900105, Nigeria)

  • Maksim V. Tyufekchiev

    (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA)

  • Ali A. Salifu

    (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja 900107, Nigeria
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
    Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Institute of Science and Technology for Development, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA)

  • Klaus Schmidt-Rohr

    (Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA)

  • Zhaoxi Zheng

    (Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA)

  • Alex R. Maag

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Science and Technology for Development, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA)

  • Geoffrey A. Tompsett

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Science and Technology for Development, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA)

  • Charles M. Cai

    (Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), Bourns College of Engineering, University of California, Riverside,1084 California Ave, Riverside, CA 92507, USA)

  • Emmanuel O. Onche

    (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja 900107, Nigeria)

  • Ayten Ates

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, 58140 Sivas, Turkey)

  • Winston O. Soboyejo

    (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja 900107, Nigeria
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
    Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Institute of Science and Technology for Development, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA)

  • Robert Krueger

    (Department of Social Science and Policy Studies, Institute of Science and Technology for Development, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA)

  • Michael T. Timko

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Science and Technology for Development, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA)

Abstract

Low- and middle-income countries have tremendous potential for renewable energy production, including production of renewable carbon from locally prolific crops. In this work, bamboo endemic to West Africa ( Bambusa vulgaris ) was studied as a feedstock for the production of renewable sugars as the gateway to the local production of biofuels and bio-based chemical products. The effectiveness of delignification and amorphization pretreatments was evaluated, with the observation that quantitative (97 ± 4%) sugar yields could be obtained with a rapid initial hydrolysis rate (82 ± 4 mg g −1 h −1 ) but only when amorphization was performed following delignification. Experimental measurements and further characterization using 13 C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) helped establish the importance of amorphization and delignification and explained why the order of these treatments determined their effectiveness. The economics of the bamboo-based process were compared with those projected for corn stover, selected as a well-studied benchmark crop. Because of the higher bamboo growth rate compared with corn stover and the effectiveness of the pretreatment, the projected net present value (NPV) of the bamboo biorefinery was positive ($190 MM, U.S.), whereas the corn biorefinery projected to negative NPV (−$430 MM, U.S.). A socially sustainable framework for deployment of a bamboo biorefinery in a low- or middle-income economy was then proposed, guided by the principle of local ownership and stakeholder buy-in. The findings presented here motivate further investment in development of bamboo cultivation and conversion to sugars as a rapid route to decarbonization of low- and middle-income economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Nneka B. Ekwe & Maksim V. Tyufekchiev & Ali A. Salifu & Klaus Schmidt-Rohr & Zhaoxi Zheng & Alex R. Maag & Geoffrey A. Tompsett & Charles M. Cai & Emmanuel O. Onche & Ayten Ates & Winston O. Soboyejo , 2022. "Bamboo as a Cost-Effective Source of Renewable Carbon for Sustainable Economic Development in Low- and Middle-Income Economies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2022:i:1:p:331-:d:1017626
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    References listed on IDEAS

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