Valorization of tropical fruit‐processing wastes and byproducts for biofuel production

Abstract

AbstractGlobal energy demand is expanding due to an increasing population and the use of energy‐intensive technologies. Fossil‐based energy and transportation sectors have been blamed for greenhouse gas emissions and price fluctuations. Biofuel production has been suggested as a possible solution to this problem, despite the cost of production and difficulties with the availability of feedstocks, and the food versus energy debate, which is still a challenging issue. For many decades, researchers have been investigating how to valorize low‐cost and non‐edible biomass resources, including fruit‐processing waste and its byproducts, to produce various biofuels using innovative, cost‐effective, and green technologies to overcome these challenges. However, exhaustive studies and comprehensive and structured knowledge related to the biofuel production potential of fruit waste and byproducts are lacking because most of the research that has been done so far was specific to a single fruit, location, and method. As a result, this review paper emphasizes the evaluation of the physicochemical compositions of the wastes and byproducts derived from tropical fruit production and processing to determine their suitability in the production of different biofuels via various valorization techniques. The results of the review showed that fruit waste is a potential alternative raw material for producing different biofuels, like biodiesel, biogas, biohydrogen, and fuel pellets.