learn biorefinery
What is Biorefinery?
Biorefinery converts biomass into energy. It also produces other beneficial materials like chemicals. Biorefining produces things like biofuels and bioproducts as alternatives to energy sources like fossil fuels. The raw materials are fashioned into multiple intermediates that companies and organizations can use to create other products. The use of biomass can reduce the impact on the planet from waste products. For example, farmers can use biomass products for animal feed. Biorefinery can be categorized into four main features. The first is platform chemicals or intermediates. There are many biorefinery intermediates such as liquid from pyrolysis, biogas from anaerobic digestion, or lignin from processing lignocellulosic biomass. Another category is a product, such as energy-driven systems like biofuels, or material driven systems. A third category handles feedstock, the processing of by-products to save waste and cut down on the cost of feeding large herds and flocks. Finally, a fourth process is a biomass conversion process that transforms biomass into a final product. These biobased systems form a large part of our operations, and understanding the thermochemical properties of each feature is critical. Many of the intermediates and final products are of high value.
Learn about Biorefinery
Understanding the end to end process of biorefinery is a critical and in-demand skill. Students must have a foundational knowledge of the life cycle to work in this necessary field. EdX offers courses and programs designed to provide everything you need to get started in this career or satisfy a curiosity. Biorefinery Courses and Certifications Wageningen offers a Biorefinery course, From Biomass to Building Blocks of Biobased Products. In it, you'll learn the steps of pretreatment and conversions, how to design and evaluate a biorefinery process, and how to activate or disentangle biobased feedstocks. The course is part of a micro-masters series from Wageningen, designed to introduce you to the complex nature of energy production, case studies of biorefinery systems, and the economic viability of these chemical platforms. You'll gain a foundational understanding and be able to apply your knowledge in the field.
Biorefinery Careers and Futures
Whether it's saccharification in sugar platforms or addressing climate change in the process itself, edX offers courses designed to get you started. You'll understand the enzymatic reactions that produce final products from biomass and asses the environmental impact of things like biofuel production. From here, you may decide to move on to higher education options like chemical engineering, but edX can help build your knowledge base and get you started. The chemical process of biorefinery is fascinating, and the production process can be complex. EdX can help you get started and find your interest and possibly your career.