18 Introduction to Renewable Biomaterials
Table 1.20Leading GM crops (global, 2013) (Compass, 2014).
Total area
(million hectare)
GM plant area
(million hectare)
Share
GMO (%)
Soy 107 79.0 79
Corn 179 57.4 32
Cotton 34 23.9 70
Rapeseed 34 8.2 24
Table 1.21Leading areas in GM crop cultivation (million
hectare; 2013) (Compass, 2014).
United
States Brazil Argentina India Canada China
70.1 40.3 24.4 11.0 10.8 4.2
and glucose. Sucrose extracted from sugar crop or glucose (produced from starch
crops) can therefore directly be used as carbon source in fermentation. Sugar (and
starch) is therefore called first-generation feedstock. This is the state of the art.
1.3.8.2 Second Generation
From lignocellulosic biomass sugar is not directly accessible. Such raw materials need an
enzymatica or thermochemical pretreatment to make the enclosed sugar available for
the so-called second-generation biotechnological processes. Second-generation ethanol
production facilities have been established in recent years in United States, Brazil, Italy,
and more are under way.
1.3.8.3 Third Generation
Degrading biomass or other organic materials down to gaseous CO (syngas) and feeding
it into gas fermentation is the latest technology. Concerning the original raw material it
is most flexible. It even accepts industrial CO emission from a steel mill. Summarized
as third generation such processes are running currently on pilot scale in China and the
United States.
1.3.9 Industrial Use
Besides traditional applications in food, feed, fiber, paper, and construction materials
(wood) biomass is increasingly going to deliver raw materials into the main sectors:
energy and chemicals, which are discussed in the following section.
1.3.9.1 Energy
Biomass contributes to all three energy markets: heat, power, and transport.
Purpose-grown crops and wood, residues from agriculture and forestry, processing
residues from food and wood industries as well as municipal waste are used. Although
renewable energy sources (biomass, hydrothermal, wind, geothermal, and solar power)
make only 19% (2012) of the global final energy consumption (REN21), biomass
