An article in GCB Bioenergy describes why bamboo may be an attractive resource in efforts to develop environmentally friendly renewable energy to replace fossil fuels.

The authors explain that bamboo grows quickly, absorbs carbon dioxide, and releases large amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere. They discuss a variety of processes, such as fermentation and pyrolysis, that can be used to convert its raw material into bioethanol, biogas, and other bioenergy products. A tool that has some limitations is currently available for selecting the most appropriate bamboo species for different bioenergy production processes.

Researchers have found that bamboo can be transformed into four different energy forms through various conversion technologies: bioethanol, bio-oil, biogas, and biochar. Because of its high lignocellulose content, bamboo is well-suited for bioethanol production, which involves pretreatment followed by hydrolysis and fermentation. Bamboo can also be converted into bio-oil through hydrothermal liquefaction and pyrolysis. Pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion can be used to produce hydrogen and methane, respectively. Additionally, bamboo can be hydrothermally carbonized and pyrolyzed to generate biochar, which has high value.

The researchers emphasize that using bamboo biomass is a good way to meet the increasing need for energy and to deal with waste. They suggest that the best ways to convert bamboo biomass are pyrolysis and fermentation. Their paper also mentions how important it is to choose the right type of bamboo for each bioenergy production process.