Evaluation of the potential of cassava-based residues for biofuels production

Cassava is the third significant source of calories after rice and maize in tropical countries. The annual production of cassava crop is approximately 550 million metric tons (MMT) which generates about 350 MMT of cassava solid residues, including peel, bagasse, stem, rhizome, and leaves. Cassava peel, bagasse, stem, and rhizome can be exploited for solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels production. Biofuels production from cassava starch started in the 1970s and researchers are now extensively studying cassava residues like peel, bagasse, stem, rhizome, and leaves to unravel their applications in biofuels production. However, there are technical and economic challenges to overcome the problems existing in the production of biofuels from cassava-based residues. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the techniques used for biofuels production from various cassava-based residues.