Nutrient Management in Processing of Steam-Exploded Lignocellulose Phytomass

Energy production from phytomass residues such as harvest leftovers is generally accepted as a sustainable way. Excellent results may be reviewed in papers based on laboratory observations. However, trials performed on a commercial scale show that without proper disintegration long retention times, huge fermenters, or various chemicals are required. The results obtained in a commercial scale suggest that intensive disintegration makes subsequent processes less manageable. Two conventional methods of nutrient management and the recently proposed method, which takes into account the availability of nutrients, have been robustly tested. The data from all three methods and the technological and cost assessment that followed demonstrated that the application of the newly proposed method opens up the potential for further optimization, which may lead up to significant reductions in energy price.