能源植物研究现状和展望

综述了常见生物能源如燃料酒精和生物柴油所涉及高等能源植物的种类、特征和应用开发现状,并展望了将来的发展趋势。     

能源植物资源的研究和开发

植物能源是一种清洁的、方便的可替代能源,发展植物能源是解决矿石能源危机的可行的措施,生物汽油和生物柴油产业已得到初步发展和应用。按照能源植物所含特定化学物质的对能源植物进行类别划分,并结合我国的实际,提出我国适宜发展的能源植物品种。     

能源生物技术

对生物技术在能源领域的应用包括燃料酒精、生物柴油、生物制氢及微生物采油技术等的国内外现状进行了综述,对其研究的意义和前景进行了分析。     

转基因技术与生物能源

随着传统化石能源的日益枯竭、环境污染的日益加重,世界各国都在积极寻求发展可再生能源。生物能源,尤其是包括生物乙醇和生物柴油在内的生物燃料,因其原料的可再生性和燃料使用的环境友好性,     

生物能源专刊序言

生物能源作为可再生能源,有望减少能源供给中对石油的依赖程度。近年来,我国生物能源的发展非常迅速,已经成为继巴西和美国后的第三大燃料乙醇生产国和消费国。为促进生物能源相关技术研究的发展,本期“生物能源”专刊收录了我国生物能源专家学者在燃料乙醇、生物柴油、微生物油脂、生物燃料系统分析等领域的最新研究进展。     

基因工程创制油菜种子基生物燃油的关键技术

生物基燃料的开发研究对保证我国能源安全、改善生态环境都有重要意义。通过系统的基因工程改良创制“能源油菜”,作为生物柴油主要原料,是我国可再生能源战略推进的明智选择。分析了油菜作为生物柴油原料的优势及尚需解决的问题,根据相关领域研究趋势和我国现有基础,提出了油菜种子基生物能源发展的战略构想和重点研究方向:1.进一步提高产量、含油量以提高单位面积产油量。2.利用油菜种子作为口服疫苗等高值蛋白产物生物反应器,提高油菜种子蛋白质部分价值,降低综合生产成本。3.基因工程提高油菜抗逆性和生态适应性,利用海涂、荒坡等非农业用地,解决大规模发展油菜种子质基生物柴油原料种植所需土地问题。4.通过特种脂肪酸组分定向基因调控技术,培育高品位生物柴油专用油菜品种。     

转基因抗除草剂油菜对近缘作物的基因漂移

以转基因抗除草剂油菜 Q3和 HCN- 19为花粉供体材料 ,油菜近缘作物为花粉受体材料 ,在自然授粉条件下研究甘蓝型油菜与芸薹属近缘作物间的基因漂移频率。结果表明 ,油菜对芸薹属 6个种甘蓝、黑芥、埃芥、芥菜型油菜、白菜型油菜和甘蓝型油菜的基因漂移率分别为 0、0 .0 2 4 %～ 0 .2 4 3%、 0 .0 2 8%～ 0 .0 92 %、 0 .10 9%～ 0 .95 1%、 0 .4 79%～ 0 .879%、 1.2 5 2 %～2 .191%。且基因漂移频率受多种因素影响 ,其中与杂交亲和性、花期同步率、种植面积等高度相关。通过花粉将抗除草剂基因漂移给近缘作物 ,油菜是需要特别关注的作物     

2013生物能源专刊序言

生物能源作为可再生能源,可以替代部分石化能源,有望缓解能源供给中对石油的依赖程度.本期专刊结合第6届国际生物能源会议,包括综述和研究报告两部分,报道了我国生物能源专家学者在燃料乙醇、生物柴油、微生物油脂、生物燃料标准、航空生物燃料等领域的最新研究进展.     

基因工程在能源植物改良中的应用

利用基因工程技术改良能源植物,对降低能源植物向生物燃料(生物乙醇、生物柴油)的转化成本、提高能源转化效率有着非常重要的意义。目前,基因工程技术已被广泛应用于提高植物总的生物产量、降低或改变植物木质素的含量与成分、在植物体中大量表达纤维素降解酶、提高油料植物的产油量以及改变植物油酯的组成成分等方面的研究。概述了利用基因工程技术在以上方面对能源植物进行改良已取得的进展,讨论了现存问题及未来的发展前景。     

利用微藻生产可再生能源研究概况

能源是现代工业的支柱,是国民经济可持续发展的动力。生物质能源作为一种来源广泛的可再生能源,其开发利用不仅有助于缓解化石燃料日益枯竭给全球经济发展带来的危机,还可避免对环境的污染。微藻中很多种类富含油脂,可以用来生产生物柴油（脂肪酸甲酯）;另一些藻类中含有极丰富的烃类物质,化学结构与矿物油相似,提取后可加工成汽油、柴油使用;在特定条件下,绿藻和蓝藻在光合作用的同时可以产生氢气。微藻易培养,生长快,单位面积生物量大,油、烃含量高,是一类重要的生物质能源,已引起各国政府、科学家和企业家的高度关注。文中概述了利用微藻生产油脂、烃类、氢气的研究现状,探讨了利用微藻生产可再生能源存在的问题和对策,并展望了我国微藻可再生能源研究开发的发展前景。     

A reassessment of global bioenergy potential in 2050

Many climate change mitigation strategies rely on strong projected growth in biomass energy, supported by literature estimating high future bioenergy potential. However, expectations to 2050 are highly divergent. Examining the most widely cited studies finds that some assumptions in these models are inconsistent with the best available evidence. By identifying literature‐supported, up‐to‐date assumptions for parameters including crop yields, land availability, and costs, we revise upper‐end estimates of potential biomass availability from dedicated energy crops. Even allowing for the conversion of virtually all ‘unused’ grassland and savannah, we find that the maximum plausible limit to sustainable energy crop production in 2050 would be 40–110 EJ yr^?1. Combined with forestry, crop residues, and wastes, the maximum limit to long‐term total biomass availability is 60–120 EJ yr^?1 in primary energy. After accounting for current trends in bioenergy allocation and conversion losses, we estimate maximum potentials of 10–20 EJ yr^?1 of biofuel, 20–40 EJ yr^?1 of electricity, and 10–30 EJ yr^?1 of heating in 2050. These findings suggest that many technical projections and aspirational goals for future bioenergy use could be difficult or impossible to achieve sustainably.     

China's bioenergy potential

Despite great enthusiasm about developing renewable energy in China, the country's bioenergy potential remains unclear. Traditional utilization of bioenergy through primarily household combustion of crop residue and fuelwood is still a predominant energy source for rural China. More efficient utilization of ～300 million tons of crop residues for bioelectricity generation could add a couple of percent of renewable energy to China's total energy production. With <9% of the world's arable land supporting ～20% of the world's population, China is already a net grain importer and has little extra farmland for producing a significantly additional amount of biofuels from first‐generation energy crops, such as maize, sugarcane, and soybean. Second‐generation energy crops hold the greatest potential for bioenergy development worldwide. Miscanthus, a native perennial C4 grass that produces high biomass across almost the entire climatic zone of China, is the most promising second‐generation energy crop to domesticate and cultivate. A reasonable near‐term goal is to produce 1 billion tons of Miscanthus biomass annually from ～100 million hectares of marginal and degraded land concentrated in northern and northwestern China. This can generate ～1458 TW h electricity and mitigate ～1.7 billion tons of CO₂ emission from power coal, which account for ～45% of China's electricity output and ～28% of CO₂ emission in 2007. Furthermore, growing perennial grasses on marginal and degraded land will contribute to the ongoing efforts in China to restore vast areas of land under serious threat of desertification. With this potential taken into account, bioenergy can play a major role in meeting China's rapidly growing energy demand while substantially reducing greenhouse gas emission.     

Sweetcane (Erianthus arundinaceus) as a native bioenergy crop with environmental remediation potential in southern China: A review

Sweetcane (Erianthus arundinaceus [Retzius] Jeswiet) is an ecologically dominant warm‐season perennial grass native to southern China. It traditionally plays an important role in sugarcane breeding due to its excellent biological traits and genetic relatedness to sugarcane. Recent studies have shown that sweetcane has a great potential in bioenergy and environmental remediation. The objective of this paper is to review the current research on sweetcane biology, phenology, biogeography, agronomy, and conversion technology, in order to explore its development as a bioenergy crop with environmental remediation potential. Sweetcane is resistant to a variety of stressors and can adapt to different growth environments. It can be used for ecological restoration, soil and water conservation, contaminated land repairing, nonpoint source pollutants barriers in buffer strips along surface waters, and as an ornamental and remediation plant on roadsides and in wetlands. Sweetcane exhibits higher biomass yield, calorific value and cellulose content than other bioenergy crops under the same growth conditions, thereby indicating its superior potential in second‐generation biofuel production. However, research on sweetcane as a bioenergy plant is still in its infancy. More works need be conducted on breeding, cultivation, genetic transformation, and energy conversion technologies.     

An evaluation of the global potential of bioenergy production on degraded lands

In this article the global potential of energy crop production on degraded lands was estimated using detailed, spatially explicit data about the area, type and extent of degradation derived from the Global Assessment of Land Degradation Dataset, and by combining this dataset with various spatially explicit data sets. Next, an estimate was made of the possible yield of perennial energy crops on the degraded areas as a function of the type and degree of degradation. Lightly degraded areas were not included, as these areas might be suitable for conventional food production. The total global potential energy production on degraded lands was assessed to be slightly above 150 and 190 EJ yr^?1, for grassy and woody energy crops, respectively. Most of this potential, however, is on areas currently classified as forest, cropland or pastoral land, leaving a potential of around 25 and 32 EJ yr^?1 on other land cover categories. Most of the potential energy crop production on degraded land is located in developing regions. China has a total potential of 30 EJ yr^?1, of which 4 EJ yr^?1 from areas classified as other land. Also USA, Brazil, West Africa, East Africa, Russia and India have substantial potentials of 12–18 EJ yr^?1, with up to 30% of the potential from areas classified as other land.     

Farmers' perspectives for the development of a bioenergy industry in Ireland

A survey of Irish farmers was conducted to identify farmers’ opinions on energy crop production and to characterize potential adopters of energy crop cultivation in Ireland. One hundred and seventy‐two surveys were completed from 25 counties in Ireland. Miscanthus (48%) and grass (30%) were the preferred crops for adoption of energy crop production. Potential adopters described themselves as having a significantly greater level of knowledge of energy crop production compared with other respondents. The results indicate that lack of interest in adopting energy crop production may be due to lack of knowledge regarding the economic benefits of adoption and the variety of energy crops available for cultivation in Ireland. The establishment of long‐term contracts and government schemes were identified as important requirements for the development of bioenergy crop production in Ireland. Energy crop adoption was not limited to farmers undertaking specific farm enterprises. Farmers were motivated to adopt energy crop production for both economic and environmental benefits. These results are the first to provide valuable information on the perspectives of potential adopters of bioenergy crop production in Ireland for the promotion and implementation of a national bioenergy industry. Policy requirements and outreach strategies to encourage adoption of energy crops by agricultural producers are suggested.     

Opportunities for renewable bioenergy using microorganisms

Global warming can be slowed, and perhaps reversed, only when society replaces fossil fuels with renewable, carbon-neutral alternatives. The best option is bioenergy: the sun's energy is captured in biomass and converted to energy forms useful to modern society. To make a dent in global warming, bioenergy must be generated at a very high rate, since the world today uses approximately 10 TW of fossil-fuel energy. And, it must do so without inflicting serious damage on the environment or disrupting our food supply. While most bioenergy options fail on both counts, several microorganism-based options have the potential to produce large amounts of renewable energy without disruptions. In one approach, microbial communities convert the energy value of various biomass residuals to socially useful energy. Biomass residuals come from agricultural, animal, and a variety of industrial operations, as well as from human wastes. Microorganisms can convert almost all of the energy in these wastes to methane, hydrogen, and electricity. In a second approach, photosynthetic microorganisms convert sunlight into biodiesel. Certain algae (eukaryotes) or cyanobacteria (prokaryotes) have high lipid contents. Under proper conditions, these photosynthetic microorganisms can produce lipids for biodiesel with yields per unit area 100 times or more than possible with any plant system. In addition, the non-lipid biomass can be converted to methane, hydrogen, or electricity. Photosynthetic microorganisms do not require arable land, an advantage because our arable land must be used to produce food. Algae or cyanobacteria may be the best option to produce bioenergy at rates high enough to replace a substantial fraction of our society's use of fossil fuels.     

Evaluation of eastern gamagrass as dual-purpose complementary bioenergy and forage feedstock to switchgrass

Switchgrass (SG) is considered a model bioenergy crop and a warm-season perennial grass (WSPG) that traditionally served as forage feedstock in the United States. To avoid the sole dependence on SG for bioenergy production, evaluation of other crops to diversify the pool of feedstock is needed. We conducted a 3-year field experiment evaluating eastern gamagrass (GG), another WSPG, as complementary feedstock to SG in one- and two-cut systems, with or without intercropping with crimson clover or hairy vetch, and under different nitrogen (N) application rates. Our results showed that GG generally produced lower biomass (by 29.5%), theoretical ethanol potential (TEP, by 2.8%), and theoretical ethanol yield (TEY, by 32.9%) than corresponding SG under the same conditions. However, forage quality measures, namely acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein (CP), and elements P, K, Ca, and Mg were significantly higher in GG than those in SG. Nitrogen fertilizer significantly enhanced biomass (by 1.54 Mg ha⁻¹), lignin content (by 2.10 g kg⁻¹), and TEY (787.12 L ha⁻¹) in the WSPGs compared to unfertilized treatments. Intercropping with crimson clover or hairy vetch did not significantly increase biomass of the WSPGs, or TEP and TEY in unfertilized plots. This study demonstrated that GG can serve as a complementary crop to SG and could be used as a dual-purpose crop for bioenergy and forage feedstock in farmers' rotations.