Demand For Feedstocks Research Articles

Long-Term Forecasting Models of Oil Demand Emerging from the Global Petrochemical Sector

In the global energy mix by 2040, the growth in demand for oil and gas will be predominantly driven by the petrochemical sector across all regions of the world. The strong performance of this industry is anticipated to necessitate additional volumes of key feedstocks. Therefore, understanding the demand dynamics within the petrochemical sector is crucial for policy makers and industry stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding economic diversification, economic planning, and environmental sustainability. However, there is a notable lack of existing literature that explicitly addresses comprehensive regional and product-level demand modeling for petrochemical feedstocks. In this context, this study aims to estimate the demand for four main petrochemical feedstocks (Naphtha, Ethane, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and other petrochemical feedstocks) across eight regions of the world. By estimating a total of 30 equations for price and income elasticities of demand in both the short and long term, the study provides detailed insights into the factors driving demand across different regions. The results demonstrate the robustness of the model, with good econometric properties and significant coefficients. In-sample regional simulations revealed small percentage errors across all regional equations, highlighting the model’s accuracy in tracking historical data. For each of the four feedstocks, an aggregate world equation—in other words, one single econometric world equation for each of the four petrochemical feedstocks’ categories mentioned earlier—was also estimated and compared against the aggregation of the regional simulations, with the latter found to track the history of global petrochemical feedstock demand better in-sample than a single econometric world equation. Overall, the study offers valuable contributions to the existing literature by filling a gap in comprehensive demand modeling for petrochemical feedstocks. It underscores the importance of regional and product-level analyses in understanding global demand patterns and informing strategic decisions in the industry.

Fossil materials demand within deep decarbonization scenarios: A feasibility assessment

Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are cornerstone tools in guiding decarbonization policies. However, the petrochemical sector, which is crucial to the future of oil and gas due to its non-energy fossil feedstock demands, has been overlooked in IAMs. This study aims to evaluate the implications of this under-representation on decarbonization strategies. We assessed the Illustrative Mitigation Pathways from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Sixth Assessment Report. Our analysis indicates that, without stringent material policies, the feedstock demand can reach unattainable levels from 2050 onwards. This is evidenced by the required disruptive yields of primary oil in feedstocks, which exceed 80 % in some cases. The findings highlight the necessity for improved modelling of the petrochemical sector within IAMs.

MFiX-TFM simulation of hydrodynamics of a dual fluidized bed system

The abundance and replenishable nature of biomass make it a suitable fuel for power generation. Among the various technologies, dual fluidized bed gasification (DFBG) is a suitable technology to generate high-quality syngas from biomass. However, the complexity of hydrodynamics and heat transfer with bed geometry, flow conditions as well as feedstock demands effective research for the design of such system. This study, therefore, focuses on the simulation of hydrodynamics of a dual fluidized bed gasification system. The 2-D two-fluid model (TFM) simulations were performed using Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges (MFiX) software by varying the superficial air velocities for both the gasifier and riser. The influence of superficial air velocity on static pressure, pressure drop, axial and radial voidage, solid velocities, and granular temperature was evaluated. From the simulations, it was observed that with the increase in superficial air velocities, there was an increase in the effective height of pressure drop (66%), voidage, and solid velocities of the gasifier. For the simulation of the riser, similar trends in the profile of hydrodynamic parameters were also observed. The optimum velocity for the gasifier and riser has been suggested to be between 0.15 and 0.35 m/s and 6–7 m/s, respectively.

Oxyfluorfen: a novel metabolic inhibitor to select microalgal chlorophyll-deficient mutant strains for nutritional applications

Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for novel feedstocks and alternative protein sources to meet global needs. Because of their rich nutritional profiles and high protein contents, microalgae-based food products and supplements are being developed. Nonetheless, these products present organoleptic characteristics such as taste, smell and colour that are often considered unpleasant by human and animal consumers. To address this constraint, strain improvement approaches such as random mutagenesis have been used, which combined with the right selection strategy, lead to more appealing microalgal biomass. In this work, a novel selection strategy using oxyfluorfen, an inhibitor of the chlorophyll synthesis pathway, was applied for the first time to isolate chlorophyll-deficient strains of Scenedesmus rubescens and Chlorella vulgaris upon treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). With this approach, one S. rubescens brownish (37Y01) mutant strain, as well as two C. vulgaris mutant strains, one yellow (31Y15) and one white (31W62), were obtained. S. rubescens 37Y01 displayed a reduced protein content of 19.1% dry weight (DW) compared to that of the wildtype, which presented a protein content of 25.0% DW. C. vulgaris wildtype and mutants exhibited higher protein contents, in the 42.8‐44.3% DW range, compared to Scenedesmus rubescens (p < 0.05). The selective pressure of this inhibitor allowed the selection of S. rubescens and C. vulgaris mutants displaying 55% and 95% decrease in chlorophyll content, respectively. The reduced chlorophyll content greatly improves the sensory properties and consumer acceptance of established mutants, increasing the potential of both strains as feedstocks to develop novel food products.

On the intrinsic recycling potential of carbon-based materials and products; an assessment method and outlook

In this paper we investigate the market size of all materials and products presently produced from (organic) carbon and we present a method to estimate the intrinsic recycling potential of these materials/chemicals as a function of their respective applications. The method is based on the expert assessment of a number of variables that are important within the different application categories and markets of the carbon-based materials/chemicals. Applying the method, the paper presents the recycling potential of all carbon-based products. Following, an estimation of the amount of new products that can be produced each year through recycling of discarded products is presented and the amount of carbon that needs to come from other sustainable sources to fulfil our demand for new products is calculated.We distinguish nine different categories of (organic) carbon-based materials/chemicals: plastics, textile fibres, thermoset resins, rubbers, surfactants, solvents, fine chemicals, paper/board and wood products. Within these nine categories the most important materials/chemicals types were taken into account. Fossil-based and bio-based materials/chemicals were assessed separately. For each of the materials/chemicals types, the market size in terms of mass (Mt) was calculated for the main applications in which they are applied. Next, for all materials/chemicals types in these applications, the maximum recycling potential, in case mechanical or physical recycling methods are applied, was assessed, using an expert panel. Also, inevitable leakage of materials/chemicals in the different applications was assessed. Finally, the amount of feedstock coming from recycling streams that may be made available for chemical recycling or carbon capture and utilisation technologies was derived. From this, the magnitude of carbon-based materials/chemicals that need to be replaced each year by other renewable feedstock than recycled content in terms of Mton carbon was calculated.The analysis is relevant in view of implementation of a circular economy and reuse and recycling of materials, to combat depletion of raw materials. Next, it is relevant in view of phasing out fossil-feedstock to combat climate change. Our analysis indicates that the recycling potential of carbon-based materials and products through mechanical or physical methods lies around 50%, even in a system that is fully optimised for recycling. Chemical recycling and carbon capture and utilisation may provide another 25% of the renewable-carbon feedstock needed, but they generally require far more energy and other inputs to produce new materials and chemicals than the mechanical and physical recycling methods. The remaining demand for renewable-carbon feedstock thus needs to come from either biomass or CO2 through carbon capture and utilisation technologies. Based on our findings, we argue that the composition of our present carbon-based products pool needs to be redesigned on a fundamental molecular level, towards material types that contain more oxygen. Carbon-based materials that contain more oxygen generally can be recycled more efficiently, and are also easier to produce from the alternative feedstocks biomass and CO2 through CCU.

North America green methanol market poised to reach $144.2 M by 2028, driven by demand for sustainable fuels and chemical feedstock

North America green methanol market poised to reach $144.2 M by 2028, driven by demand for sustainable fuels and chemical feedstock

Pellets from mixtures of short rotation coppice with forest-derived biomass: Production costs and energy intensity

The demand for feedstock for pellet production is growing, with a consequent increase in the cost of their purchase and the cost of production. The objective of this study was to determine the cost and energy intensity of pellet production from forest biomass (Scots pine, silver birch) and short rotation coppice – SRC (black locust, poplar and willow) and their mixtures. The lowest cost (339.7 € Mg−1) and energy input (1448 kWh Mg−1) for pellet production were determined for Scots pine. The cost of pellet production from poplar and willow was higher by 5–6% compared with Scots pine pellet. The energy input for pellet production from willow, black locust and poplar was higher by 48.1%, 50.4% and 53.2%, respectively. The feedstock purchase cost (50.3–57.8%) and energy input for drying them (74.6–82.6%) accounted for the largest portion. Increasing the share of SRC biomass from 25% through 50%–75% relative to Scots pine and silver birch biomass resulted in a cost and energy intensity increase and decrease in the energy efficiency of pellet production. Three pellet types: produced from Scots pine and those with an addition of 25% of willow or poplar made up one cluster.

A biofuels outlook for the U.S. and Brazil and what it might mean for sustainable development goal 7

Sustainable Development goals set out at the United Nations with broad support include targets relating to food security, energy access, and the environment. Some national policies have turned to renewable fuels to achieve energy and environmental goals, with biofuel use mandates applied in countries that account for significant market shares. However, the context in which the development goals were set and these biofuel policies put in place might differ from current and future conditions. The scope for biofuel expansion might be restrained by technical limits on blending rates, slower future growth in transportation energy demand after the pandemic, and the interactions with feedstock and other agricultural commodity markets, which could take different forms given larger biofuel volumes and other changes. Considering the expected policies and broader context, this study provides a 10-year outlook for biofuel use, production, feedstock demands, and other related variables with a primary focus on the United States and Brazil. We find scope for increasing biofuel use in both countries, particularly for biomass-based diesel, in the projection period and growing displacement of petroleum product-related greenhouse gas emissions, which is consistent with sustainable development goal seven.

Two-Dimensional Zeolites-Potential Catalysts for Biomass Valorization.

Valorization of biomass and biomass-derived molecules has become a viable route to get fuels and useful chemicals as fossil feedstocks are dwindling and the demand for renewable feedstocks and sustainable energy sources are rising. Zeolites have been promising catalysts for biomass conversion owing to their structural features and active sites. However, the use of conventional zeolites was limited due to molecular diffusion constraints, which paved the way for the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) zeolites. The high external surface area, bimodal porosity (micropores and mesopores), and 2D structure of these zeolites envisage smooth diffusion of bulky molecules, enhanced accessibility to active sites, and slow deactivation, which are benefits in the valorization of biomass. In this brief review, current advancements in the use of layered 2D zeolites for biomass conversions are discussed. The relationship between the structural features and the catalytic potential of 2D zeolites in some of the major biomass conversion processes like pyrolysis, hydrodeoxygenation, alkylation, acetalization, condensation, and dehydration is discussed and multistep reactions that proceed via a cascade mechanism are highlighted.

Developing Filament Extruder and Characterization of Recycled High-Density Polyethylene for 3D Printing Filament Material

With the rise of additive manufacturing, the demand for 3D printing feedstock has increased exponentially and its sustainability is critical in the future. Many scholars are now concerned about how 3D printing filaments should be reproduced from recycled plastic. This study aimed to develop a filament extruder machine and investigate the potential of using recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE), one of the most commonly used and recyclable thermoplastic, for 3D printing filament material. Desktop sized filament extruder machine was built, and a smooth and round-shaped 1.75±0.01mm diameter recycled HDPE filament was produced. Its mechanical, thermal, chemical, and physical properties were characterized by conducting various tests and validation test was conducted by comparing its properties with its virgin counterpart. The ultimate tensile strength of the recycled HDPE filament was obtained 19.02±0.35MPa, which is comparable to the ultimate tensile strength of virgin HDPE, making it a viable 3D printing feedstock for rapid prototyping. According to Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the recycled HDPE filament offers significant thermal stability with an onset degradation temperature of 430℃ and a full degradation temperature of 520℃. Its Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrum shows the same functional groups as virgin HDPE polymer. The recycled HDPE filament has also excellent water-rejecting capability. In general, the study revealed a promising result for the use of recycled HDPE plastic as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly source material for 3D printing filament. To increase the potential and market competitiveness of recycled filaments, further investigation is required to optimize the filament extrusion and 3D printing process parameters, improve the mechanical properties, and overall development methods for both the recycled HDPE filament and 3D printed products.

What is the long-term demand for liquid hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks?

Liquid hydrocarbons made from crude oil serve many functions: (1) a dense, easy-to-store, easy-to-transport energy source, (2) a method for daily-to-seasonal energy storage, (3) a chemical feedstock, (4) a chemical reducing agent and (5) a method to enhance high-temperature heat transfer in many furnaces and industrial processes. Liquid hydrocarbons can be produced and used without increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels if made from non-fossil feedstocks such as carbon dioxide or biomass. Understanding future liquid hydrocarbon demand is the starting point in assessing the viability of such options. Our assessment is that U.S. demand for liquid hydrocarbons is unlikely to go below the equivalent of 10 million barrels per day of crude oil but could be as high as 20 million barrels per day. The costs to replace liquid hydrocarbons increases rapidly at lower liquid hydrocarbon consumption rates. Hydrocarbon biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks can meet such demands if produced with large external inputs of heat and hydrogen. Options based on more limited feedstocks (starches, plant oils, sugars, etc.) can’t meet such demands.

L-lactate production in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a multistage multiobjective automated design framework.

The design of alternative biodegradable polymers has the potential of severely reducing the environmental impact, cost and production time currently associated with the petrochemical industry. In fact, growing demand for renewable feedstock has recently brought to the fore synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. These two interdependent research areas focus on the study of microbial conversion of organic acids, with the aim of replacing their petrochemical-derived equivalents with more sustainable and efficient processes. The particular case of Lactic acid (LA) production has been the subject of extensive research because of its role as an essential component for developing an eco-friendly biodegradable plastic-widely used in industrial biotechnological applications. Because of its resistance to acidic environments, among the many LA-producing microbes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been the main focus of research into related biocatalysts. In this study, we present an extensive in silico investigation of S. cerevisiae cell metabolism (modeled with Flux Balance Analysis) with the overall aim of maximizing its LA production yield. We focus on the yeast 8.3 steady-state metabolic model and analyze it under the impact of different engineering strategies including: gene knock-in, gene knock-out, gene regulation and medium optimization; as well as a comparison between results in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We designed ad-hoc constrained multiobjective evolutionary algorithms to automate the engineering process and developed a specific postprocessing methodology to analyze the genetic manipulation results obtained. The in silico results reported in this paper empirically show that our method is able to automatically select a small number of promising genetic and metabolic manipulations, deriving competitive strains that promise to impact microorganisms design in the production of sustainable chemicals.

Water-energy-food nexus of local bioeconomy hub and future climate change impact implication

Policies on bioeconomy are some of the key emerging ones around the world to support sustainability in terms of using renewable resources. However, these may lead to significant demand for biomass feedstock which relies on limited resources, viz., water, land, and energy. The impact of climate change on water availability makes it more challenging. This paper demonstrates the analysis of the water, energy, and food resource nexus of a bioeconomy-based industrial complex and future climate change impact. The model structure consists of cultivation, crop processing, and urban sectors. Sugarcane is the major crop in the case study area and is the main bioeconomy crop.The results indicate that the average sugarcane yield will be lower than the minimum industrial goal for the 2020s and 2030s decades. Consequently, sugarcane feedstock shortage may often occur. The drought situation tends to be increased, so groundwater resources can be the main reserve source of water. In all improvement scenarios on water supply management, nexus energy used for water acquisition was mainly for groundwater acquisition. Direct energy use in the cultivation process is high and fossil fuels based, while most of the energy used in processing came from biomass waste. This implies that technologies for water acquisition will be more important in the future and should be developed in terms of energy efficiency and the aspect of promoting the usage of renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gases and fossil fuels use. The impact of climate change will cause significant fluctuations in the annual rainfall characteristics of the study area. An additional irrigation water supply of about 250 mm and expansion to cover more than 90% of the cultivation area should be considered to secure the minimum supply of sugarcane for the local biorefinery complex in the following decades.

Providing Insights into the Markets for Bio-Based Materials with BioMAT

Knowledge-based policy making in the field of bio-based economy needs two elements: (i) a monitoring system for assessing the historical developments of bio-based industry and (ii) foresight capacities to provide prospects for the bio-based industry in the future and how it can contribute to achieving different targets. However, significant knowledge gaps in both areas exist, especially regarding the markets of bio-based materials in general and bio-based chemicals in particular. Against this background, a new consistent framework for the representation of the value chains of bio-based materials in the EU and its Member States is developed, i.e., BioMAT. This article aims to present the BioMAT database which (i) is used to track historical developments in the markets for bio-based chemicals and the demand for feedstocks and (ii) enables the construction of the BioMAT model to make future projections. The developed BioMAT database compilation procedure is described in detail. Results reveal that the production of bio-based chemicals in the EU reached 43 million tons or 14% of the total output volume of the organic chemical industry in 2018. The main application of bio-based chemicals is biofuels, followed by agrochemicals and surfactants. The main feedstocks are plant oils and starch.

Evaluating potential impact of plastic waste recycling industry on the global energy market

Plastic recycling and “closed-loop” plastics market are among the “hot topics” in the global environmentalist agenda. Secondary plastics are lauded as a way to eliminate demand for fossil hydrocarbon feedstock and solve the polymer pollution crisis. The author has reviewed the potential technological capacity of plastic recycling for affecting the oil and energy markets and the current government legislations for the “circular plastics” development. Even under the “best case” scenario, secondary plastics were found to be able to provide around a third of demand by 2030, and state plans indicate even lower figures.

Modeling Yield, Biogenic Emissions, and Carbon Sequestration in Southeastern Cropping Systems With Winter Carinata

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production from lipids is a technologically mature approach for replacing conventional fossil fuel use in the aviation sector, and there is increasing demand for such feedstocks. The oilseed Brassica carinata (known as Ethiopian mustard or simply carinata) is a promising SAF feedstock that can be grown as a supplemental cash crop over the winter fallow season of various annual crop rotations in the Southeast US, avoiding land use changes and potentially achieving some of the soil carbon sequestration and ecosystem service benefits of winter cover crops. However, carinata may require more intensive management than traditional cover crops, potentially leading to additional soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through increased carbon losses from soil tillage and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from nitrogen fertilizer application. In this work, the 2017 version of the process-based DayCent ecosystem model was used to establish initial expectations for the total regional SAF production potential and associated soil GHG emissions when carinata is integrated as a winter crop into the existing crop rotations across its current suitability range in southern Alabama, southern Georgia, and northern Florida. Using data from academic and industry carinata field trials in the region, DayCent was calibrated to reproduce carinata yield, nitrogen response, harvest index, and biomass carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. The resulting model was then used to simulate the integration of carinata every third winter across all 2.1 Mha of actively cultivated cropland in the study area. The model predicted regional average yields of 2.9–3.0 Mg carinata seed per hectare depending on crop management assumptions. That results in the production of more than two million Mg of carinata seed annually across the study area, enough to supply approximately one billion liters of SAF. Conventional management of carinata led to only modest increases in soil carbon storage that were largely offset by additional N2O emissions. Climate-smart management via adopting no-till carinata establishment or using poultry litter as a nitrogen source resulted in a substantial net soil GHG sink (0.23–0.31 Mg CO2e ha−1 y−1, or 0.24–0.32 Mg CO2e per Mg of seed produced) at the farms where carinata is cultivated.

Solvent-free oxidative esterification of furfural to 2-methyl furoate using novel copper-exchanged tungstophosphoric acid supported on montmorillonite K-10 catalyst

The valorization of bio-based chemicals using green processes plays a vital role in the up-gradation of biofuels that are useful to reduce the demand for fossil feedstock. Furfural is a promising renewable biomass-based platform chemical, which can be catalyically transformed into many value-added chemicals. Oxidative esterification of furfural produces 2-methyl furoate, which is used as flavour and fragrance in fine chemical industries. There lies a challenge to find a cheaper and efficient catalyst for one-pot oxidative esterification of furfural. Supported heteropolyacids (HPAs) are useful for many biomass transformation reactions owing to their strong Bronsted acidity as well as high surface area, which both help promote catalytic surface reaction. In the present work, we have synthesized Cu exchanged tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) with different supports, viz. SiO2, ZrO2, and montmorillonite K-10 clay (K10) which were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation. Oxidative esterification of furfural with methyl alcohol was investigated using the aforesaid catalysts and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant. 20% w/w Cu substituted TPA (abbreviated as Cu-TK10) catalyst is green, stable, active, selective, reusable, and cheaper. It was observed that the higher acidic strength and good surface area are responsible for oxidative esterification of furfural and methyl alcohol with higher selectivity. In this work, 91% conversion with 100% selectivity was achieved in 5 h at 120 °C using 1:3 molar ratio of furfural and TBHP with a catalyst loading of 0.01 g/cm3. The synthesized catalysts were analyzed by various characterization techniques such as SEM, XRD, FT-IR, BET surface area analyser, and NH3-TPD, before and after use. This is an interesting example of valorization of furfural.

Hydrocarbon Bio-Jet Fuel from Bioconversion of Poplar Biomass: Life Cycle Assessment of Site-Specific Impacts

Hydrocarbon drop-in bio-jet fuels could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the aviation sector. Large tracts of land will be required to grow biomass feedstock for this biofuel, and changes to the management of these lands could have substantial environmental impacts. This research uses spatial analysis and life cycle assessment methodologies to investigate potential environmental impacts associated with converting land to grow poplar trees for conversion to bio-jet fuel from different regions within the western United States. Results vary by region and are dependent on land availability, type of land converted, prior land management practices, and poplar growth yields. The conversion of intensively managed cropland to poplar production results in a decrease in fertilizer and a lower annual global warming potential (GWP) (Clarksburg CA region). Bringing unmanaged rangeland into production results in increases in fertilizers, chemical inputs, fuel use, and GWP (Jefferson OR region). Where poplar yields are predicted to be lower, more land is converted to growing poplar to meet feedstock demands (Hayden ID). An increased use of land leads to greater fuel use and GWP. Changes to land use and management practices will drive changes at the local level that need to be understood before developing a drop-in biofuels industry.

Land-use change and valorisation of feedstock side-streams determine the climate mitigation potential of bioplastics

Globally, governments have increased their commitment to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the same time, the compostable bioplastic market is growing rapidly as many single-use petrochemical plastics are being banned internationally. A prospective consequential life cycle assessment approach was conducted to quantify the environmental envelopes of compostable bioplastic production for the bioplastic value chains to operate within the bounds of climate neutrality. Four indicative feedstocks of (i) lignocellulosic biomass from forestry, (ii) maize biomass, (iii) food waste digestate, and (iv) food waste were evaluated for potential bioplastic production. Upstream and end-of-life emissions for these feedstocks equated to GHG balances of -16.3 to +23.5, 0.3 to 1.0, 1.0 to 4.8, and -0.1 to +0.4 kg CO2 eq. per kg bioplastic, respectively. The scenarios demonstrated that indirect land-use change could have a considerable negative impact on the environmental performance of maize-based plastic, but a positive impact, via terrestrial carbon sequestration, for lignocellulosic-derived plastic (unless increased feedstock demand drives deforestation). Appropriate use of residues and sidestreams is critical to the environmental performance of bioplastics. Efficient utilisation of residues may require decentralisation of bioplastic production and implementation of biorefinery and circular economy concepts.

Economic Trends in the Transition into a Circular Bioeconomy

The shift away from fossil fuels needed to reduce CO2 emissions requires the use of renewable carbon and energy sources, including biomass in the bioeconomy. Already today, the bioeconomy has a significant share in the EU economy with traditionally bio-based sectors. For the future, the energy, mobility and chemical sectors have additional high expectations of the bioeconomy, especially for agriculture and forestry to produce biomass as an industrial feedstock. Numerous studies have been published on the availability of feedstocks, but these often only look at individual applications. Looking at the total demand and considering the sustainability limits of biomass production leads to the conclusion that the expected demand for all industries that could process biomass exceeds the sustainably available capacity. To mitigate this conflict between feedstock demand and availability, it is proposed that the organic chemical sector be fully integrated into the bioeconomy and the energy sector be only partially integrated. In addition, recycling of wastes and residues including CO2 should lead to a circular bioeconomy. The purpose of this manuscript is to help fill the research gap of quantitatively assessing the demand and supply of biomass, to derive economic trends for the current transition phase, and to further develop the theoretical concept of the bioeconomy towards circularity.