Green Transformation Engine: Comprehensive Overview and Innovative Breakthroughs in Biomass Material Industrialization Technology
(Hunan Provincial Plastic Research Institute, Shen Youliang)
Abstract
This article provides a comprehensive review of the industrial utilization technologies for five major biomass materials, namely bamboo, wood, straw, reed, and rice stalks. Studies have shown that these lignocellulosic materials are mainly composed of cellulose (30-50%), hemicellulose (20-35%), and lignin (15-30%), and possess advantages such as renewability, environmental friendliness, and abundant resources. In the field of energy conversion, thermochemical conversion technologies such as gasification and pyrolysis have reached commercial application levels, with a biomass power generation installed capacity of 172 million kilowatts; biochemical conversion technologies such as anaerobic fermentation for biogas production and fermentation for ethanol production are developing rapidly. In the field of material production, the traditional paper industry has formed a mature industrial chain, with a bamboo pulp production volume of 259 million tons in China by 2024; the market size of artificial boards and biomass composite materials is continuously expanding, with the revenue of the composite board industry in China reaching 386 billion yuan in 2024. In the field of chemical synthesis, technologies for bio-based platform compounds such as ethanol, lactic acid, and furfural are becoming increasingly mature, and the bio-based chemical market is expected to reach 207.95 billion US dollars by 2032. The global biomass industry is showing a rapid growth trend, with a market size expected to reach 792.6 billion US dollars in 2025, a compound annual growth rate of 7.1%. However, this industry still faces challenges such as high raw material costs, low technology conversion efficiency, and large equipment investment. Future development trends will move towards diversified applications, intelligent production, and high-value utilization, and it is expected that the proportion of biomass energy in terminal energy consumption will increase from 5% to 12% by 2030.
I. Introduction
As the global energy crisis and environmental issues become increasingly severe, developing renewable clean energy has become the consensus of the international community. Biomass, as the only renewable resource with both material and energy attributes, plays an irreplaceable role in achieving the "dual carbon" goals. Lignocellulosic materials are the most abundant renewable raw materials in nature, widely sourced from wood, bamboo, and straw, mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These biomass materials have the characteristics of abundant resources, renewability, and environmental friendliness, providing broad prospects for industrial utilization.
Currently, the total amount of global biomass resources is enormous. It is estimated that the total amount of biomass resources that can be utilized each year is approximately 1.06 billion tons of oil equivalent, equivalent to about 14% of the global energy consumption. Among them, the reserves of crop straw are the most abundant. Globally, about 2 billion tons of straw are produced each year, and China's straw production accounts for about 40% of the global total. Bamboo, as a fast-growing biomass resource, has a global annual production of 40 million tons, and China accounts for one-third of the global total. The timber resources are even more extensive. In 2020, the global volume of log harvesting reached 3.91 billion cubic meters. Reed, as a wetland biomass resource, has a global annual production of about 160 million tons, and China's annual production exceeds 50 million tons, accounting for one-third of the global total.
However, despite the abundance of biomass resources, their industrial utilization still faces numerous challenges. The "concrete structure" of lignocellulose makes it difficult to separate the three components through physical methods. Traditional chemical processing methods can usually only utilize one or two of the components, making it impossible to achieve high-value utilization of all three components. Moreover, problems such as high collection costs of raw materials, complex conversion technologies, and difficult product separation also restrict the development of the biomass industry.
This study aims to comprehensively review the current industrial utilization technologies of major biomass materials such as bamboo, wood, straw, reed, and rice stalks in fields such as energy conversion, material production, and chemical synthesis. It also analyzes the technical principles, industrialization levels, and market prospects, providing a reference for the development of the biomass industry.
II. Analysis of Basic Characteristics of Biomass Materials
2.1 Chemical Composition Characteristics
There are certain differences in the chemical composition of biomass materials such as bamboo, wood, straw, reed, and rice stalks. However, they are all mainly composed of three components: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, with a total content exceeding 90%.
The chemical composition of bamboo is relatively stable. The entire bamboo is composed of 40%-60% cellulose, 16%-34% lignin and 14%-25% hemicellulose. Additionally, it contains a small amount of extractives and ash elements. Specifically, the cellulose content of moso bamboo is approximately 50%, the hemicellulose content is approximately 20%-30%, and the lignin content is approximately 20%-30%. Studies have shown that the cellulose content of 10 wild bamboo species ranges from 37.09% to 44.21%, the hemicellulose content ranges from 17.16% to 23.32%, and the lignin content ranges from 21.73% to 25.81%.
The chemical composition of wood varies by type. The cellulose content of hardwood is 43%-47%, the hemicellulose content is 25%-35%, the lignin content is 16%-24%, and the extract content is 2%-8%; for softwood, the cellulose content is 40%-44%, the hemicellulose content is 25%-29%, the lignin content is 25%-31%, and the extract content is 1%-5%. Cellulose in wood accounts for approximately 40%-50% of the total components and is a component that needs to be retained as much as possible during the pulping process; hemicellulose makes up 20%-35% of the total components; lignin makes up 15%-35% of the total components.
The chemical composition of straw-based biomass varies significantly. The cellulose content of wheat straw is 30%, while the hemicellulose content is as high as 50%, and the lignin content is 15%. For rice straw, the cellulose content is 34.6%, the hemicellulose (xylan) content is 21.3%, the lignin content is 9.6% - 16.3%, and the ash content is relatively high, reaching 14.5%. The cellulose content of corn straw is 36.1%, the hemicellulose content is 21.4%, the lignin content is 17.2%, and the ash content is 7.1%.
The chemical composition of reeds is similar to that of straw. The content of cellulose (glucan) is 40.5%, the content of hemicellulose (xylan) is 25.9%, the content of lignin is 16.2% - 18.2%, and the ash content is 3.6%. Studies have shown that the cellulose content of reeds is approximately 40% - 50%, the hemicellulose content is approximately 20% - 30%, and the lignin content is approximately 20% - 30%.
From the chemical composition characteristics, it can be seen that the cellulose and hemicellulose contents of different biomass materials are relatively close, but the lignin and ash contents vary significantly. This difference directly affects the processing performance and application directions of different materials. For example, the high ash content (14.5%) of rice straw limits its application in some cases, while the relatively balanced chemical composition of bamboo makes it have good application prospects in multiple fields.
2.2 Physical Property Analysis
The physical properties of biomass materials directly affect their processing performance and application results, including key parameters such as density, fiber morphology, and moisture content.
In terms of density characteristics, the density range of bamboo typically falls between 0.25 and 0.95 g/cm³, which is generally lower than that of wood. The air-dry bulk density of culm bamboo is 0.6 - 0.8 g/cm³. Bamboo is a lightweight and high-strength material, with its density usually ranging from 0.35 to 0.65 g/cm³. Compared to hardwood, the density of bamboo is approximately half, but its strength-to-weight ratio is higher than that of hardwood. The density range of wood is wider, ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 g/cm³, and mainly depends on the tree species and moisture content. The bulk density of straw is relatively low, only 30 - 50 kg/m³.
The morphological characteristics of fibers are of crucial importance to the processing performance of materials. The fibers of bamboo have a relatively long length, with an average fiber length of over 1.6mm, and the aspect ratio is higher than 90. Studies have shown that the length of fiber cells is in the order of: hemp fiber > bamboo fiber > straw fiber > wood fiber. The fiber saturation point of bamboo is 35%-40%. Taking four-year-old culm bamboo as an example, when the moisture content drops from the fiber saturation point to zero, the dry shrinkage rate is approximately: 0.32% in the longitudinal direction, 3.0% in the radial direction, and 4.5% in the tangential direction.
The moisture content is a crucial factor affecting the processing and utilization of biomass materials. The moisture content of fresh wood or straw can be as high as 50%-60%, and after natural air-drying, it drops to 8%-20%. Depending on the combination with fuel, the moisture content in biomass fuel can be divided into free water and bound water. Free water can be removed through natural drying and its content varies from 5% to 60%; bound water is the physical and chemical water bound to the cell walls and is generally relatively fixed, accounting for about 5%. The moisture content of bamboo is usually between 10%-30%, while that of wood is more extensive, typically ranging from 15%-50%.
The calorific value characteristics determine the energy utilization value of biomass materials. The calorific value of rice straw is 48.3 MJ/kg, that of corn stalk is 49.3 MJ/kg, and that of wheat straw is 49.6 MJ/kg. There are differences in the calorific values of different biomass materials, which are related to their chemical composition, especially the carbon-hydrogen content.
2.3 Global Resource Distribution and Production
The distribution of bamboo resources shows a significant regional concentration. The global bamboo forest area has reached 22-32 million hectares, accounting for approximately 1% of the total forest area. The annual bamboo production is 15-40 million tons. Asia is the main distribution area of bamboo in the world, accounting for 80% of the world's bamboo species and 90% of the bamboo forest area. China is the country with the richest bamboo resources in the world, with a bamboo forest area of 7.01-7.56 million hectares, accounting for one-fifth to one-fourth of the global total. It produces 150 million tons of bamboo annually, accounting for one-third of the global total production. Other major bamboo-producing countries include India (producing 32.3 million tons), Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The distribution of timber resources is relatively widespread but uneven. The global forest resources are mainly concentrated in regions such as South America, Africa, and Asia. Brazil, Russia, Canada, Indonesia, and China are the countries with the richest timber resources in the world. In 2020, the global volume of log harvesting reached 3.91 billion cubic meters, with the United States accounting for 11%, India 9%, China 8.6%, Brazil 6.8%, and Russia 5.5%. In 2015, the global total wood production reached 3.714 billion cubic meters, including 1.848 billion cubic meters for industrial use and 1.866 billion cubic meters for firewood and charcoal.
The straw resources are extremely abundant and constitute the largest source of biomass. Every year, approximately 2 billion tons of straw are produced globally. China's straw output accounts for about 40% of the global total, with an annual output of 500 million tons (dry weight), and about 1 billion tons of fresh materials such as stems and leaves can be used for silage. China has become the country with the largest output of agricultural waste in the world. The waste from crops, livestock manure, etc. is increasing at a rate of 5% - 10% per year.
The reed resources are mainly distributed in wetland areas. The global annual output of reeds is approximately 160 million tons. China's annual output exceeds 50 million tons, accounting for one-third of the global total and ranking first in the world. Russia's annual output accounts for about 20% of the global total, and India's accounts for 7%. The largest reed-producing area in China is the Panjin region in Liaoning Province, with a reed field area of 1.23 million acres and a 2019 output of 303,000 tons.
From the distribution of resources, it can be seen that biomass resources have obvious regional characteristics, which puts forward the requirement of adapting measures to local conditions for their industrial utilization. China has significant advantages in resources such as bamboo, straw, and reeds, providing a favorable raw material basis for the development of related industries.
III. Classification and Principles of Industrialized Utilization Technologies
3.1 Energy Conversion Technologies
3.1.1 Thermal Chemical Conversion Technology
Thermal chemical conversion is an important approach for the energy utilization of biomass. It mainly includes three technical routes: combustion, gasification, and pyrolysis.
Direct combustion technology is the most traditional and simplest method for utilizing biomass energy. However, its thermal efficiency is relatively low, typically ranging from 10% to 30%. In direct combustion, biomass is completely converted into thermal energy, but the efficiency is low. On the other hand, the gasification technology converts biomass completely into combustible gas and then burns it, which can maximize the efficiency. Although the efficiency is relatively low, the direct combustion technology has simple equipment and low investment costs, and is still widely used in rural areas.
Gasification technology involves heating biomass to a high temperature (typically 700-1000°C) under an oxygen-deficient condition, causing it to undergo a thermal decomposition reaction, resulting in a combustible gas mixture (syngas) mainly composed of CO, H₂, and CH₄. The gasification process consists of three stages: Firstly, the biomass undergoes a drying process, with water evaporating; then, in a temperature range of 400-700°C, a pyrolysis reaction occurs, decomposing into solid carbon, liquid bio-oil, and gaseous volatile matter; finally, at a higher temperature (700-1000°C), a gasification reaction takes place, where the carbon reacts with the gasifying agent (steam or air) to produce the syngas. The gasification process requires controlling the amount of oxygen to enable some of the carbon to burn and generate the heat needed for gasification, while the remaining carbon reacts with steam and carbon dioxide to produce the syngas. The conversion efficiency of bamboo gasification is approximately 50%-60%.
In recent years, biomass gasification technology has achieved significant breakthroughs. The industrial test facility for a one-tenth of a million-ton per year fluidized bed two-stage gasification, jointly established by Professor Xu Guangwen's team from Shenyang University of Chemical Technology and Jinan Huangtai Gas Furnace Co., Ltd., successfully completed the industrial test and achieved technical verification. This technology, when applied to the preparation of biomass fuel, can effectively ensure the quality of biomass syngas, the continuous and stable operation of the process equipment, and has technical advantages such as low tar content and wide fuel adaptability.
Pyrolysis technology involves heating biomass to 300-1000°C in an oxygen-free or low-oxygen environment, causing it to undergo decomposition reactions, resulting in products such as biochar, bio-oil, and syngas. The slow pyrolysis temperature is typically 350-700°C, while the fast pyrolysis temperature is 800-900°F (approximately 427-482°C). This process can break down biomass into bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. Bio-oil can be refined into transportation fuels, and biochar can be used as a soil conditioner. The pyrolysis process mainly consists of three stages: the volatilization stage, where water and volatile substances in wood and bamboo evaporate at high temperatures; the pyrolysis stage, where organic matter decomposes at high temperatures, generating gases, liquids, and solid products; and the carbonization stage, where the gases and liquids produced during pyrolysis further decompose to form coke.
Studies have shown that the pyrolysis products of different biomass vary. The bio-oil produced from the pyrolysis of pine wood has a higher energy density, with a calorific value of 20.38 MJ/kg, which is higher than that of bamboo (18.70 MJ/kg); the organic phase yield of the bio-oil from pine wood is 13 wt%, which is higher than that of bamboo (9 wt%). This indicates that different biomass materials have different applicability in pyrolysis applications.
3.1.2 Biochemical Conversion Technology
Biochemical conversion technology is a technique that utilizes the actions of microorganisms or enzymes to transform biomass into energy products. It mainly consists of two categories: anaerobic fermentation for producing biogas and fermentation for producing ethanol.
The anaerobic digestion technology for producing biogas involves converting the organic substances in biomass into biogas, which mainly consists of methane and carbon dioxide, under strict anaerobic conditions through the anaerobic fermentation process by microorganisms. The anaerobic digestion microorganisms include two major types: acid-producing bacteria and methane-producing bacteria. Both of these are anaerobic bacteria, and especially the methane-producing bacteria are strictly anaerobic and highly sensitive to oxygen.
The anaerobic fermentation process consists of four stages: the hydrolysis stage, where complex organic substances are broken down into simple sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids; the acidification stage, where simple organic substances are converted into volatile fatty acids and alcohols; the acetate production stage, where fatty acids and alcohols are transformed into short-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid and propionic acid; and the methane production stage, where acetic acid, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide are converted into methane and carbon dioxide under the action of methanogenic bacteria.
The biomass rich in cellulose (40%-60%) can be converted into biogas with a calorific value of 17,900 - 26,900 kJ/m³ through high-solid anaerobic digestion (total solid content TS > 10%), equivalent to 0.7 kg of anthracite. Pre-treatment of the raw materials can significantly increase the methane yield. For example, soaking in ammonia water increases the methane yield of rice straw by 261%, and the combined treatment of zero-valent iron and CaO₂ for wheat straw results in a gas production of 154.1 mL/g VS.
The technology of ethanol production through fermentation is a process that utilizes microorganisms to convert the sugars in biomass into ethanol. This technology typically consists of three steps: pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation. First, biomass is pre-treated using physical, chemical, or biological methods to break its structure and increase the accessibility of enzymes; then, cellulase is used to hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose into monosaccharides such as glucose; finally, yeast and other microorganisms are used to ferment the sugars into ethanol.
The production of cellulose ethanol requires the separation of enzymes first. These enzymes are added to the biomass, converting starch or cellulose into simple sugars. Then, the sugars are fermented by yeast to produce ethanol. Studies have shown that by optimizing the pretreatment conditions and fermentation process, the ethanol yield can be significantly increased. For instance, using thermophilic bacteria such as Thermobifida fusca can achieve simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, simplifying the process and improving efficiency.
3.2 Materials Production Technology
3.2.1 Paper Industry
The paper industry is one of the most traditional and important application fields of biomass materials. Different biomass materials have their own advantages and characteristics in the paper industry.
The bamboo-based papermaking process has unique advantages. The bamboo fibers have a morphology and length that lie between those of wood and grass fibers. They are mainly used to produce offset printing paper, typing paper, and other high-quality cultural papers. The natural bamboo pulp can be used to manufacture packaging paper, etc. In 2024, China's bamboo pulp production reached 2.59 million tons, with a year-on-year increase of 1.97%. Sichuan Province, as a major bamboo resource province, had a total pulp and paper production of 622.81 million tons in 2024. Among this, the bamboo pulp production was 148.59 million tons, and the mechanical paper and paperboard production was 474.22 million tons. The raw material structure was 10% wood pulp, 35% self-produced bamboo pulp, and 55% recycled pulp.
The bamboo pulp industry refers to the sector that uses bamboo as raw material, extracts bamboo fibers through physical or chemical methods, and then undergoes processes such as pulping and papermaking to produce various bamboo pulp papers and their derivative products. According to the source of raw materials, bamboo pulp can be classified as primary bamboo pulp and recycled bamboo pulp. Primary bamboo pulp is made from fresh bamboo materials through chemical or mechanical methods; recycled bamboo pulp is obtained from waste paper or recycled bamboo pulp through processing and purification.
Bamboo papermaking has developed rapidly in recent years and has become an important way to alleviate the pressure on wood resources. The global bamboo papermaking industry will undergo a structural transformation in 2025. China, as the largest producer, contributes 42% of the global production capacity. Driven by policies, the proportion of bamboo pulp replacing wood pulp in the European and North American markets has exceeded 30%. In agricultural provinces such as Shandong and Anhui in China, clusters processing tens of millions of tons of straw per year have been formed.
The non-wood pulp eco-paper industry uses non-wood fibers such as bamboo pulp, sugarcane bagasse pulp, straw pulp, and cotton linter pulp as raw materials to replace traditional wood pulp for paper production. This effectively alleviates the pressure on forest resources and aligns with the national carbon neutrality strategic goals. Bamboo pulp paper is the mainstream category, with a production volume of approximately 376 million tons, accounting for 42% of the total non-wood pulp paper production; sugarcane bagasse pulp paper has a production volume of 215 million tons, accounting for 24%; straw pulp and cotton linter pulp each contribute approximately 187 million tons and 117 million tons respectively, totaling nearly 34%.
The papermaking process using reeds has a long history and mature technology. Reeds are a common type of aquatic or wetland tall grass, and their fibers can be used for pulping and papermaking. The fibers of reeds have excellent physical and chemical properties and can be used to produce various types of paper, especially having advantages in the production of high-grade cultural paper. The surface of reed fibers is loose and porous, with a large specific surface area, which is conducive to the adsorption and reaction of chemical agents in the pulp with the fiber surface, promoting the dissociation and wetting of the fibers.
3.2.2 Artificial Boards and Biomass Composite Materials
Artificial boards and biomass composite materials represent an important direction for the high-value utilization of biomass materials, and they have broad market prospects.
The artificial board industry is large in scale and continues to grow. In 2024, the total output value of China's wood and bamboo industry was approximately 524.4 billion yuan, with artificial boards accounting for about 38%, or 196 billion yuan. Wooden flooring accounted for 14.2% with an output value of 196 billion yuan. Products related to wooden structure buildings accounted for about 207 billion yuan (15%), and bamboo products achieved an output value of approximately 207 billion yuan (15%). The output of artificial boards in China reached about 350 million square meters, with a market size close to 80 billion yuan; in 2023, the market size of artificial boards was expected to reach approximately 450 billion yuan, and it maintained a double-digit growth rate every year.
The technology of biomass composite materials is constantly innovating. Agricultural wastes such as straw, rice husks, and wheat bran are rich in cellulose and hemicellulose. Through physical, chemical, or biological methods of processing, they can be transformed into bio-based raw materials, such as plant fiber boards and biomass composite materials. Fine woodchip composite materials refer to new types of materials made by using fine woodchips as the main raw material and combining them with other materials through physical or chemical methods. They are widely used in construction, furniture, packaging, and other fields. The main preparation principle is to mix fine woodchips with other matrix materials (such as synthetic resins, natural adhesives, etc.) through physical or chemical methods, and go through molding, curing and other process steps, ultimately forming composite materials with specific properties.
The market for bamboo and wood composite materials has great potential. The market size of bamboo and wood composite materials has reached approximately 30 billion yuan in 2025, and is expected to grow to 50 billion yuan by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of over 10%. In terms of process upgrading, the application of digital and intelligent production technologies has become the main trend in the industry development. The sustainable utilization of raw materials has also made significant progress. The market size of straw artificial wood is expected to exceed 30 billion yuan in 2025, with a year-on-year growth rate of 18%.
The development of straw-based artificial boards is rapid. In 2022, the production capacity of straw-based artificial boards in China reached 4.2 million cubic meters. It is expected to exceed 8 million cubic meters by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of around 9.5%. From 2025 to 2030, the market size of straw-based artificial boards in China is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12%, and the total industry output value is expected to exceed 50 billion yuan. It is predicted that by 2028, the global market size of straw boards will exceed 2.4 billion US dollars, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.5%. If China can effectively narrow the technological gap, its market share is expected to increase from the current 15% to 25%.
3.2.3 Fiber Extraction and Application
Fiber extraction is the fundamental technology for the utilization of biomass materials, providing raw materials for industries such as textiles, papermaking, and composite materials.
The technology for extracting cellulose fibers is constantly improving. Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls and is widely available, including in wood, bamboo, and agricultural waste such as straw. It has an extremely high biomass. Waste straw-based materials (such as bamboo fiber composite materials) have the advantages of lightweight and low cost, and are suitable for the production of disposable tableware and packaging bags.
A significant breakthrough has been achieved in the extraction technology of bamboo fiber. The research team led by Professor Yu Wengi from the Wood Industry Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Forestry has successfully decomposed and reorganized bamboo using innovative multi-scale interface engineering technology. They transformed bamboo into high-strength, deformable and biodegradable bamboo cellulose-based structural materials, with their comprehensive performance surpassing that of traditional petroleum-based plastics. This process enables precise control of material size, constructs a three-dimensional network structure without the need for additional adhesives, and turns bamboo into a sustainable cellulose-based structural material that is deformable, highly impact-resistant, hard, has excellent thermal stability, is biodegradable, and possesses excellent mechanical properties.
The team led by Professor Yu Haipeng from Northeast Forestry University published a latest study in "Nature Communications", proposing a "solvent-regulated molecular shaping" strategy to convert bamboo cellulose into high-strength bamboo molecular plastics (BM-plastics). Ethanol can break the hydrogen bonds between cellulose and water molecules in the hydrogel, driving the cellulose molecular chains to closely approach each other, re-establishing a dense and ordered new hydrogen bond network, and ultimately forming high-performance bamboo molecular plastics.
The utilization of rice straw fibers shows great potential. Research has found that high-quality natural cellulose fibers can be extracted from rice straw. The rice straw fibers contain 64% cellulose (63% of which is crystalline cellulose), with a strength of 3.5g/denier (450MPa), an elongation rate of 2.2%, and a modulus of 200g/denier (26GPa), similar to those of flax fibers. The performance of rice straw fibers is superior to any other natural cellulose fibers obtained from agricultural by-products. The global annual output of rice straw is 580 million tons, making it a renewable, abundant and inexpensive source of natural cellulose fibers.
3.3 Chemical Synthesis Technology
3.3.1 Bio-based Platform Compounds
Bio-based platform compounds refer to the bio-based chemical raw materials extracted from biomass, which have the same chemical structure and can be transformed into various final products through multiple chemical reaction pathways. These compounds occupy a core position in the bio-based chemical industry chain and serve as a crucial bridge connecting raw materials and end products.
Ethanol is one of the most important bio-based platform compounds, mainly produced through microbial fermentation of sugars. Yeast can ferment glucose into ethanol, and lactic acid bacteria can ferment glucose into lactic acid. These microbial fermentation processes can be used to produce bio-based chemicals such as ethanol and lactic acid. Currently, the industrial production of ethanol through biomass fermentation has been achieved, with representative enterprises including Brazil's Braskem and the United States' Gevo. By modifying microbial strains through metabolic engineering, efficient biosynthetic pathways can be constructed, such as using engineered strains to synthesize bio-based alcohols and ketones, etc.
Lactic acid is another important platform compound and has significant applications in the production of biodegradable plastics. The production technology of L -lactic acid has made significant progress. Studies have shown that using the thermophilic Clostridium Heyndrickxia coagulans A166 strain, up to 94.6g/L of lactic acid can be produced in batch fermentation. In continuous cell culture fermentation, by optimizing the dilution rate, the complete synchronous utilization of mixed sugars can be achieved, with a production rate of 7.6g・L⁻¹・h⁻¹, which is 4.5-5.8 times higher than that of batch studies. With the increasing demand for lactic acid, the technology for producing lactic acid using non-food raw materials such as sugarcane bagasse, rice husk, and corn straw, which are agricultural wastes, has received widespread attention.
Furfural is an important platform compound formed by the dehydration of hemicellulose. Hemicellulose is derived from corn husks, wood, and straw. Its products include xylose and its derivatives, such as xylitol for chewing gum. Furfural and its derivatives have wide applications in resins, medicine, and pesticides.
5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is an important platform compound with the molecular formula of C₆H₆O₃. It can be produced by dehydrating cellulose or fructose and is regarded as a key intermediate connecting biomass with petrochemicals. 5-HMF can be further converted into various high-value chemicals, such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), which can replace terephthalic acid to produce polyester materials.
3.3.2 Bioplastics and Bio-based Chemicals
Bioplastics and bio-based chemicals represent an important direction for the high-value utilization of biomass materials, and they demonstrate great potential in replacing petroleum-based products.
Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most successful biobased plastics. PLA is a biodegradable thermoplastic polyester that, due to its excellent performance and relatively low price, has become the most mature, largest-yielding, and most widely applied biobased plastic worldwide. PLA is typically obtained from renewable resources such as corn starch and cassava starch through fermentation to produce lactic acid, which is then polymerized. Biobased materials include starch-based plastics (such as PLA), cellulose derivatives (such as cellulose nanocrystals CNF), and biodegradable polymers (such as polyhydroxyalkanoates PHA). Their carbon emission index is generally lower than that of traditional petroleum-based materials.
Lignin-based chemicals have great development potential. Lignin, which comes from wood and straw, can be used to produce water-reducing agents, dispersants, adhesives, etc. in the construction field. At the same time, lignin can also be converted into green chemicals, renewable materials and fuels through catalytic depolymerization, with great potential. Studies have shown that through the three-sulfur separation (CLAF) technology for catalytic aromatization of lignin, lignin can be efficiently separated and valorized. The aromatized lignin extracted by the CLAF technology can be prepared into environmentally friendly and renewable bisphenols and oligomers of phenols through catalytic depolymerization.
The application scope of bio-based platform compounds is continuously expanding. These compounds can be further converted into high-value-added products such as high-molecular materials (like polylactic acid), energy sources (like bioethanol fermentation), and drug intermediates (like citric acid derivatives). Advanced methods like nanotechnology and fluidized bed catalysis have enhanced the conversion efficiency of platform compounds, shortening the process chain from intermediates to final products. Industrial policies have driven their expansion into high-tech fields such as fine chemicals and aerospace, for example, rubber substitutes derived from isoprene.
The economic advantages of bio-based materials are becoming increasingly evident. Taking bio-based plastics as an example, the cost of raw materials is reduced by approximately 15% to 30% compared to traditional petroleum-based plastics. However, they rely on specific biomass resources (such as sugarcane residue, straw, corn starch, etc.), and the acquisition cost of these resources is significantly affected by agricultural policies, geographical environment, and the stability of the supply chain.
IV. Technological Development Level and Industrialization Status
4.1 Assessment of Technological Maturity
The maturity of biomass industrial utilization technologies exhibits a distinct hierarchical characteristic, with different technological routes at different stages of development.
Mature technologies: These mainly include traditional direct combustion, partial gasification technologies, ethanol production through fermentation, and the paper industry. These technologies have achieved large-scale commercial applications. For instance, technologies such as gasification and carbonization in biomass energy thermal conversion are widely used. Biomass power generation technology has reached a mature application stage. As of 2025, the global installed capacity of biomass energy has reached 172 million kilowatts, an increase of 27.4% compared to 135 million kilowatts in 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.9%.
More mature technologies: These include advanced gasification technology, pyrolysis technology, anaerobic fermentation for biogas production, and production of bio-based platform compounds. These technologies have completed pilot tests and are being transformed into commercial applications. For instance, in recent years, biomass gasification technology has gradually matured, with efficiency continuously improving, and it can achieve gasification of various biomass raw materials, such as wood, straw, and household waste. Biochemical conversion technologies such as anaerobic digestion and fermentation technology have also become increasingly mature.
Emerging technologies: Mainly include biorefining, biocatalysis, new bio-based materials, and cellulose ethanol, etc. Most of these technologies are still at the stage of laboratory research or pilot testing. For instance, some emerging technologies such as biorefining and biocatalysis are still in the research and demonstration stages. The challenges of pyrolysis conversion technology include high costs, insufficient technical maturity, and low market acceptance.
The technology maturity assessment system classifies technologies into three levels: laboratory, pilot-scale, and industrialization, and provides targeted financial support. In the global patent applications for biomass material preparation in 2024, 35% involved digital twin technology. Through virtual simulation, process parameters were optimized to achieve "zero trial and error" and achieve large-scale production.
4.2 Industrial Application Status
4.2.1 Application in Traditional Industries
The utilization of biomass materials in traditional industries has formed a mature industrial chain with a huge market scale.
The bamboo industry is developing rapidly. In 2024, the total output value of China's bamboo industry reached 636.3 billion yuan, an increase of 17.57% compared to the previous year, demonstrating strong growth momentum. It is predicted that in 2025, the total output value of China's bamboo industry will exceed 700 billion yuan, reaching approximately 712 billion yuan, with an average annual compound growth rate of over 18%. From the industrial structure perspective, in 2024, the total output value of China's wood and bamboo industry, including bamboo products, reached approximately 207 billion yuan, accounting for 15% of the total.
The rapid development of the bamboo industry is attributed to policy support and technological progress. According to the "Outline of the '14th Five-Year Plan' for Forest and Grassland Protection" issued by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, by 2025, the comprehensive utilization rate of bamboo materials needs to reach over 70%, with the proportion of modified bamboo materials not less than 30%. Various regions have also set corresponding development goals. For instance, the "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Innovative Development of Guangdong's Bamboo Industry" released by Guangdong Province, it is expected that the total output value of the bamboo industry in the province will reach 60 billion yuan by 2025.
The wood industry maintains steady growth. In 2024, the total output value of China's wood and bamboo industry was approximately 524.4 billion yuan, with artificial boards accounting for about 38%, while wood flooring accounted for 19.6 billion yuan (14.2%) and wood structure building-related products were approximately 20.7 billion yuan (15%). The global wood market fluctuated due to various factors. In 2023, global sawn timber production decreased by 4% to 445 million cubic meters (the lowest level since 2014), and international trade decreased by 8% to 129 million cubic meters.
Optimization and upgrading of the paper industry structure. As the world's largest producer of bamboo pulp, China's bamboo pulp output has been increasing at an annual rate of 5%. In 2024, China's bamboo pulp output reached 2.59 million tons, with a year-on-year growth of 1.97%. The non-wood pulp eco-friendly paper industry has developed rapidly. The output of bamboo pulp paper was approximately 3.76 million tons, accounting for 42% of the total non-wood pulp paper output; the output of sugar cane bagasse pulp paper reached 2.15 million tons, accounting for 24%; the combined output of straw pulp and cotton waste pulp accounted for nearly 34%.
4.2.2 Application of Emerging Industries
The utilization of biomass materials in emerging industries is currently experiencing rapid growth and holds great market potential.
The scale of the biomass energy industry is expanding rapidly. By 2025, the global biomass energy industry is expected to exceed 950 billion US dollars in scale, with an annual growth rate stable within the range of 8.5% to 10.2%. The global installed capacity of biomass power generation will increase by 38 GW between 2024 and 2025. Among them, the Asia-Pacific region accounts for 57%, while the European and North American markets each hold 21% and 16% of the share. In 2025, the penetration rate of bio-based chemicals in global chemical raw materials will reach 18%, and the production capacity of bio-aviation fuel will double in three years.
The biomass materials industry is experiencing vigorous innovation. The global market size of biomass materials is expected to exceed 600 billion yuan by 2025, with China contributing more than 35%. Policy-driven factors and the goal of carbon neutrality have become the core driving forces. The bio-based polypropylene industry is about to experience a boom. The first type is the currently more mature industrial route, the core of which is to produce ethanol from biomass fermentation, and then convert the ethanol into propylene monomers. This route has achieved mass production, and representative enterprises include Brazil's Braskem and the United States' Gevo, etc.
The bio-based chemical industry has a promising future. The global bio-based platform chemical market is projected to grow from $102.1 billion in 2025 to $183.0 billion in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.2%. The bio-based chemical market is expected to reach $207.95 billion in 2032, reflecting significant expansion potential. This growth is attributed to strict environmental regulations, advancements in biotechnology, and the shift towards renewable raw materials such as corn, sugar cane, and agricultural waste.
4.3 Typical Industrialization Cases
4.3.1 Bamboo Industrialization Case
Bamboo industrialization has achieved significant breakthroughs in multiple fields, resulting in a number of typical cases.
The bamboo cluster in Chishui, Guizhou Province is a model of China's bamboo industry development. With Chishui City as the core area, the bamboo forest area reaches 132.8 thousand hectares, providing sufficient and stable raw material supply for the "bamboo replacing plastic" industry. It has built the largest single-yield bamboo pulp base in the country and has been approved as a national forestry industry demonstration park and a "bamboo pulp biological industrial base". According to statistics, the comprehensive output value of the bamboo industry in the province has increased from 12.5 billion yuan in 2022 to 18.1 billion yuan in 2024. More than 420 bamboo product processing enterprises have been cultivated, forming a product system covering 300-plus varieties such as bamboo building materials, bamboo furniture, bamboo pulp paper, and bamboo handicrafts.
The Sichuan Dazhu Bio-based New Materials Project represents a new direction for the high-value utilization of bamboo materials. In 2024, the city of Dazhou, Sichuan Province, introduced the 300,000-ton bio-based new materials production project built by Sichuan Xingzhu Bio-based New Materials Co., Ltd. Currently, the first phase of the 100,000-ton bamboo-based new materials production line has entered the equipment commissioning stage and is planned to be put into operation in mid-January 2025. After the project is completed, it will have a bio-based new materials production line with an annual capacity of over 100,000 tons, and is expected to have an annual output value of 1 billion yuan. The second and third phases will expand production capacity and reach full operation, with 250,000-ton and 300,000-ton bio-based new materials production lines respectively.
The Indian bamboo bio-refining project demonstrates a new model of international cooperation. The 200 million rupee bamboo bio-refinery in Assam is expected to commence commercial production in the middle of 2025. Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) is the main shareholder. This project converts bamboo into products such as bioethanol, and is expected to become an important hub for the production of green fuels.
4.3.2 Case Studies of Straw Utilization
Straw utilization has yielded a number of successful cases in the fields of energy, materials, and chemical engineering.
The biomass gasification power generation demonstration project has achieved a major breakthrough. The industrial test facility for the annual ten-thousand-ton-scale fluidized bed two-stage gasification, jointly established by Professor Xu Guangwen's team from Shenyang University of Chemical Technology and Jinan Huangtai Gas Furnace Co., Ltd., has recently successfully completed the industrial test and achieved technical verification. The test results prove that the fluidized bed two-stage gasification technology applied to the preparation of biomass fuel can effectively ensure the quality of biomass syngas, ensure the continuous and stable operation of the process equipment, and has the technical advantages and characteristics of low tar and wide fuel adaptability. It also verifies the feasibility of the new technology for preparing biomass syngas and the effectiveness of implementing further engineering-scale expansion.
The straw-based wood panel industry cluster has developed rapidly. In agricultural provinces such as Shandong and Anhui in China, a cluster with an annual processing capacity of tens of millions of tons of straw has been formed. The revised industrial green standards in 2024 will raise the threshold for straw fiber content to 85%, forcing enterprises to upgrade their pre-treatment technologies. In 2023, the annual output of straw-based wood panels in China exceeded 10 million cubic meters, with a market size reaching several billion yuan, and it is expected to double in the period from 2025 to 2030, with a market size potentially reaching tens of billions or even hundreds of billions of yuan.
Breakthrough in straw bio-refining technology. The key technology for breaking down and saccharifying straw developed by Zhongke Kangyuan (Taizhou) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. has great potential for industrialization. This process can rapidly decompose straw under low temperature and low pressure. Not only does it significantly reduce energy consumption - the cost of steam needed to process one ton of straw is less than 100 yuan - but it also produces almost no furfural and other inhibitory substances that are toxic to subsequent fermentation, and avoids the complex process of modifying microbial tolerance in traditional methods. In the core saccharification stage, the team continuously optimized the enzyme system of Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Aspergillus niger. Through mutagenesis breeding and innovation in fermentation processes, the cellulase activity was increased to four times the original level, and the enzyme cost for processing one ton of straw was controlled at around 150 yuan.
V. Global Market Landscape and Development Trends
5.1 Regional Distribution Characteristics
The regional distribution of the global biomass industry shows significant differences in resource endowment and technological development levels.
The dominance of Asia is prominent. In the bamboo industry, China holds over 70% of the global bamboo product supply chain share. The market size is expected to exceed 900 billion yuan by 2025, with a compound growth rate of 8.3%, which is higher than the global average of 5.7%. India, as the second-largest producer and exporter, has a bamboo export volume accounting for 12% of the global market share, mainly targeting the Southeast Asian and African markets. According to the 2022 Global Forest Resources Assessment Report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the main exporters of bamboo trade are concentrated in the Asian region. China holds a dominant position with an absolute advantage, accounting for over 70% of the global bamboo export volume in 2022, becoming the largest exporter of bamboo products globally.
Regional development disparities are evident. In the field of biomass energy, the European and North American markets have seen an increase in biomass power generation due to the deepening carbon tax policies, with the proportion rising to 8.7%. China has achieved cost reduction in the supply chain through the diversified utilization of agricultural and forestry waste. In Southeast Asia, due to the abundant palm waste resources, it has become a new hub for biomass pellet exports. The export volume will reach 12 million tons in 2025.
The trade landscape is undergoing a reshaping. Trade flows have taken on a regionalized character. The export of bioethanol from North America has increased by 14% due to the reduction in sugarcane production in Brazil. The dependence on European wood pellets imports has risen to 55%. The EU has raised the anti-dumping duty on biodiesel from China to 23.7%, prompting Chinese enterprises to shift their focus to building raw material bases in Africa.
Distribution of major producers. In the global biomass pellet market, North America and Europe currently hold the leading position in terms of market share. While the Asia-Pacific region, due to its large consumer base and industrial expansion, is expected to witness the fastest growth. In terms of biomass power generation, China is the largest producer of bioenergy electricity, followed by Brazil with 54 TWh and Japan with 49 TWh.
5.2 Policy Directions of Major Economies
All major economies have formulated ambitious targets and supportive policies for the development of the biomass industry.
China's policy system is becoming increasingly complete. As one of the largest biomass resource countries in the world, China's installed power generation capacity accounts for 28%, and the fuel ethanol production capacity has expanded to 4.5 million tons per year. The policy level has shown a clear preference for non-food biomass technology routes. The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Biotechnology Industry" includes biomass pellets in the key development directions of the biotechnology industry, supports the industrialization of technologies such as pyrolysis gasification and bio-diesel, and aims to make the scale of the biomass energy industry exceed 150 billion yuan by 2025. China's renewable energy quota system has raised the weight of biomass power generation to 8.5%.
The EU policy framework leads the world. Guided by a series of policy frameworks that accelerate the green transition, such as the "Green New Deal" and the "Horizon Plan", the EU has improved and formulated a carbon removal certification framework covering the implementation and market promotion of BECCS technology. The EU's "Renewable Energy Directive" (RED III) clearly states that by 2030, the proportion of renewable energy consumption in the transportation sector must reach 29%, and the blending ratio of SAF in aviation fuel must not be lower than 6% by 2030. In 2025, the newly revised sustainability certification system in the EU will increase the accuracy of carbon emission accounting for the utilization of agricultural and forestry waste to over 90%, and raise the lower limit of the biomass co-firing ratio to 45%, forcing power plants to undergo renovations and creating a market demand of 28 billion yuan for equipment.
The policy support from the United States has been strengthened. The US Environmental Protection Agency has released a proposal to redistribute the biofuel blending obligations that were exempted under the small refinery exemption program to large refineries, and has set the redistribution ratio at 50% or 100% to ensure that the biofuel consumption does not fall below the set target. The US IRA bill extends the tax credit until 2040, strengthens the subsidy for cellulosic ethanol, and promotes the proportion of second-generation biofuels to exceed 35%.
Japan has clear strategic planning goals. In 2025, the Japanese Cabinet approved the "Seventh Basic Energy Plan", which clearly outlined the basic ideas for biomass power generation, requiring the use of sustainable supply of biomass fuels and emphasizing the improvement of the effective utilization rate of biomass. The same year, Japan passed the ETS legislation, allowing enterprises to use four types of carbon removal credits for carbon offsetting, with a cap of 5%, including BECCS. Japan's specific goals include achieving 23-29% solar energy, 4-8% wind energy, 8-10% hydropower, 1-2% geothermal energy, and 5-6% biomass energy.
5.3 Market Size and Growth Forecast
The global biomass industry is experiencing a strong growth trend, and its market size is continuously expanding.
The overall market size is growing rapidly. The global biomass market value will exceed 792.6 billion US dollars in 2025, and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of around 7.1% until 2035, with the revenue exceeding 1573.8 billion US dollars by then. The global biomass energy market size will exceed 280 billion US dollars in 2024, and is expected to increase to 320 billion US dollars in 2025, with a stable annual compound growth rate of over 15%.
Sub-segment market growth forecast:
Biomass Energy Market: It is predicted that by 2030, the global biomass energy market size will reach 150 billion US dollars, with a compound annual growth rate of over 5%. It is also predicted that by 2030, the biomass energy market size in China is expected to reach several hundred billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of over 5%.
Bio-based Chemicals Market: The global bio-based platform chemicals market is projected to grow from $10.21 billion in 2025 to $18.30 billion in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.2%. The bio-based chemicals market is expected to reach $207.95 billion by 2032.
The market for lignocellulosic materials: The global market value of lignocellulosic biomass is projected to reach 9.76 billion US dollars by 2035, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.8% until 2035.
Bio-based raw material market: The global bio-based raw material market size was 46.8 billion US dollars in 2024, and is expected to increase from 52.1 billion US dollars in 2025 to 98.7 billion US dollars in 2032. The compound annual growth rate during the forecast period is projected to be 9.3%.
Regional market characteristics:
Asia-Pacific region: Expected to become the largest regional market for solid biomass raw materials during the period from 2024 to 2029.
North America and Europe: Currently, they hold the leading position in terms of market share. While the Asia-Pacific region, due to its large consumer base and industrial expansion, is expected to witness the fastest growth.
Long-term trend: According to the prediction of the International Energy Agency, by 2030, the global market size of the second-generation biofuels is expected to exceed 80 billion US dollars, with an average annual compound growth rate of over 18%. Among them, cellulose ethanol and biomass liquefied fuels will account for more than 70% of the market share. By 2030, global biomass energy consumption will increase by 150% compared to 2020, and its proportion in the total energy consumption at the terminal stage will rise from the current 5% to 12%.
VI. Technical Challenges and Development Prospects
6.1 Major Technical Challenges
The industrial utilization of biomass faces numerous technical obstacles, which restrict the further development of the industry.
The bottleneck of raw material pretreatment technology is the primary challenge. The current alkaline cooking process accounts for 40% of the energy consumption, but the lignin removal rate is less than 60%, resulting in the subsequent enzymatic conversion rate remaining at 45%-50%, which is 15 percentage points lower than the international advanced level. The "concrete-like" structure of lignocellulose makes it difficult to separate the three components through physical methods. Traditional chemical treatment methods usually can only utilize one or two of the components, making it impossible to achieve high-value utilization of the three components.
The problem of low conversion efficiency is prominent. During the biological conversion process, the cellulase activity is inhibited by lignin, and the energy consumption for pre-treatment reaches 8-10 MJ/kg, which offsets 30% of the energy gain. The technology for recycling by-products is not mature. The extraction rate of lignin from black liquor is less than 30%, and the energy value of bamboo residue for energy utilization is only 12-14 MJ/kg, making it difficult to support large-scale application economically.
Technical limitations of the equipment seriously hinder the industrialization process. In thermochemical conversion, nickel-based catalysts tend to sinter and lose activity at high temperatures (>800℃), with a lifespan of less than 500 hours. The replacement cost accounts for 25% of the operating cost. The scale-up effect is significant. Even a ±1℃ fluctuation in the enzymatic hydrolysis temperature under laboratory conditions can affect the conversion rate, but in industrial production, the temperature control accuracy is only ±3%, resulting in a 30% decrease in product quality stability.
The differences in raw material properties increase the technical difficulty. The heterogeneity of biomass is a challenge that needs to be overcome in multi-source biorefining to produce bio-products. The vast majority of biomass resources available in rural temperate and humid tropical regions are crop and food residues, animal and human waste, as well as agricultural processing residues, which require different technical conversion processes.
6.2 Economic Analysis
The economic viability of the biomass industry is a crucial factor determining its competitiveness and sustainable development.
The cost composition analysis reveals that the production costs of the biomass industry cover several key aspects, mainly consisting of raw material costs, equipment costs, operating costs, and research and development costs. Raw material costs occupy a significant position in the production costs of biomass energy and are one of the key factors affecting the economic benefits of the industry. Equipment costs are an important component of the production costs in the biomass energy industry, mainly including the purchase, installation, commissioning, and upgrading of production equipment.
The cost structure characteristics are as follows: The proportion of raw material costs usually ranges from 40% to 60%, while large-scale production can reduce fixed costs to below 20%. Taking straw pellet fuel as an example, its cost composition includes: raw material cost (150-200 yuan/ton), electricity consumption cost (50-90 yuan/ton), labor and factory operation (30-60 yuan/ton), equipment depreciation and maintenance (20-40 yuan/ton), with a total cost of approximately 250-390 yuan/ton.
The analysis of cost competitiveness presents a complex situation. On one hand, the production cost of wood and bamboo-based biomass energy is 25%-30% higher than that of fossil energy, significantly weakening market competitiveness. Data from 2022 shows that the cost pressure led to losses for 30% of small and medium-sized enterprises. On the other hand, the cost of biomass fuel is 30%-40% lower than that of natural gas and 20%-25% lower than that of oil. Taking an enterprise that consumes 10,000 tons of standard coal annually as an example, after substitution, it can save an average of 8-12 million yuan per year, with an investment recovery period of 3-5 years.
The investment return analysis indicates that the investment return cycle of the project is affected by raw material prices, product prices, and subsidy intensity. The typical biogas project has a recovery period of approximately 8-12 years, while the gasification power generation project can last for 6-8 years. Among the cost structure, equipment depreciation (35%) and fuel costs (25%) account for the highest proportion. In recent years, the advancement of technology has led to a decrease in unit investment costs, for instance, the efficiency of biomass boilers has increased by more than 10%.
6.3 Prospects for Development
Driven by policy support, technological advancements, and market demand, the biomass industry is demonstrating a broad scope of development prospects.
The technological development trend will move towards the direction of high efficiency, intelligence and diversification. In the future, thermochemical conversion technology will develop towards the direction of high efficiency, low energy consumption and high added value. For example, high-temperature gasification technology will further improve thermal efficiency and reduce energy consumption; liquefaction technology will achieve deep conversion of biomass resources and increase product added value. Biocellulose electrochemical conversion technology is a technology that converts biomass energy into electrical energy, featuring green, clean and efficient characteristics. In the future, it will develop in aspects such as improving energy conversion efficiency, reducing costs and expanding application fields.
The market demand forecast indicates a strong growth trend. According to the International Air Transport Association's prediction, the global demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will reach 6 million tons and 20 million tons respectively in 2025 and 2030; by 2050, SAF will account for more than 65% of the emission reduction contribution of the aviation industry, with a demand of up to 358 million tons. Bioplastics have the advantages of degradability, environmental friendliness, and renewable resources. They have broad application prospects in packaging, daily necessities, medical devices, etc. With the continuous growth of global energy demand and the increasingly severe environmental problems, biomass energy, as a renewable and clean energy form, has a strong market demand.
The industrial development prospects are extremely promising. With technological breakthroughs and policy support, the production of organic chemicals from biomass is becoming a key path to achieve the "dual carbon" goals, and it also brings unprecedented significant opportunities to the energy and chemical industries. In the next five years, China's biomass industry will exhibit characteristics such as technological breakthroughs driving efficiency improvement, diversified application scenarios, and dual-wheel drive of policies and markets. Through green finance and the improvement of standards systems, more social and environmental values will be realized.
The expansion of application fields will continue to deepen. Bamboo, as a renewable resource, has the characteristics of fast growth and strong carbon sequestration capacity. The bamboo-based composite materials formed through modern technology processing conform to the development trends of "replacing plastic with bamboo", "replacing steel with bamboo", and "replacing wood with bamboo", and have demonstrated great potential in various fields such as construction, transportation, and municipal services. In the next five years, the global market size of bamboo processing is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12%, and it shows broad application prospects in fields such as construction, furniture, and packaging.
The long-term development goals are clear. According to the relevant plans, by 2030, the proportion of biomass energy in total energy consumption will reach over 10%. The global bioenergy market is currently in its infancy and is expected to grow rapidly in the next 30 years. The market size of China's renewable chemical manufacturing industry will rise to 1.49 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 8.8%. With the continuous maturation of core technologies and the emergence of scale effects, this industry is expected to grow into a trillion-dollar green manufacturing pillar industry in the next decade and occupy an important position in the global sustainable chemical supply chain.
VII. Conclusion
This paper provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the industrial utilization technologies for major biomass materials such as bamboo, wood, straw, reed, and rice stalks. The main conclusions drawn are as follows:
The analysis of material properties indicates that all five types of biomass materials are mainly composed of cellulose (30-50%), hemicellulose (20-35%), and lignin (15-30%), but there are differences in specific content and physical properties. Bamboo has a relatively balanced chemical composition and excellent mechanical properties; wood resources are abundant and the chemical composition is stable; straw materials have a high ash content but a large output; reed, as a wetland resource, has unique ecological value. The distribution of these materials' resources shows obvious regional characteristics. China has significant advantages in resources such as bamboo, straw, and reed.
The level of technological development exhibits a hierarchical characteristic. Traditional technologies such as direct combustion, papermaking, and artificial board production have reached the stage of mature application; advanced technologies such as gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic fermentation, and production of bio-based platform compounds are currently in the stage of commercial transformation; emerging technologies such as biorefining, cellulose ethanol, and new bio-based materials are mostly in the research and development or pilot production stage. The differences in technological maturity provide different investment opportunities and risk levels for industrial development.
The current situation of industrial application shows that the biomass industry has formed a huge market scale. In 2024, the total output value of China's bamboo industry reached 636.3 billion yuan, and the scale of the artificial board industry reached 524.4 billion yuan. The global biomass energy industry scale is expected to exceed 950 billion US dollars in 2025. The application of traditional industries is mature and stable, while that of emerging industries is growing rapidly. Typical cases such as the bamboo cluster in Chishui, Guizhou, the biobased new materials project in Dazhu, Sichuan, and the gasification technology demonstration project of Shenyang University of Chemical Technology have demonstrated a promising industrialization prospect.
The global market landscape is characterized by Asian dominance and significant regional differences. China holds a leading position in areas such as bamboo materials and biomass energy, while developed economies like the European Union, the United States, and Japan are ahead in technological innovation and standard setting. Major economies have all formulated ambitious development goals and supportive policies, providing strong impetus for industrial development. The global biomass market is expected to reach 792.6 billion US dollars by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.1%.
The outlook for the development prospects indicates that the biomass industry is facing technological breakthroughs and market opportunities. Despite challenges such as low efficiency in raw material pretreatment, high conversion costs, and technical limitations of equipment, with technological progress, policy support, and growing market demand, the biomass industry is expected to achieve a leapfrog development in the next decade. It is projected that by 2030, the proportion of biomass energy in terminal energy consumption will increase from 5% to 12%, and the market size of bio-based chemicals will reach 207.95 billion US dollars.
Policy suggestions: First, strengthen basic research and technological innovation, with a focus on breaking through key technical bottlenecks such as raw material pre-treatment, efficient conversion, and product separation; second, improve the policy support system, increase fiscal investment and tax incentives, and establish a sound standard system; third, promote the development of industrial clusters, forming a complete industrial chain from raw material supply to end products; fourth, strengthen international cooperation, introduce advanced technologies and management experiences, and enhance industrial competitiveness; fifth, pay attention to sustainable development, ensuring the rational utilization of biomass resources and environmental protection.
Overall, the industrial utilization technologies of biomass materials such as bamboo, wood, straw, reed, and rice stalks are in a stage of rapid development, and they have great market potential and development prospects. Through technological innovation, policy support, and market drive, the biomass industry is expected to become an important force in promoting the green transformation of the economy and achieving the "dual carbon" goals.
