Chapter 1 - Why are bio-based chemical building blocks needed?

Abstract

Around the world, significant steps are being taken to move from today’s fossil-based economy to a more sustainable economy based on biomass. The transition to a bio-based economy has multiple drivers: (a) the need to develop an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable global economy; (b) the anticipation that oil, gas, coal, and other chemical products will reach peak production in the not too distant future and that prices will climb; (c) the desire of many countries to reduce an overdependence on fossil-fuel imports; (d) the global issue of climate change and the need to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases emissions; and (e) the need to stimulate regional and rural development. Bio-based chemical building blocks are being used more and more to replace fossil-fuel-based chemicals. It is hoped that these sustainable alternatives will reduce dependence on fossil feedstocks for chemicals, materials, and fuel as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout production chains. In addition, bioblocks are key intermediaries between raw materials and final products, and they can be used to link different biorefinery concepts and target markets. This chapter discusses the main bio-based chemical blocks at present, their relevance, their current production status, and their industrial applications.