LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS-DERIVED BIOGAS: A REVIEW ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY IN MALAYSIA
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2024.0021
Received: 21 May 2023 Accepted: 22 December 2023 Published Online: 18 March 2024
Lignocellulosic Biomass (LCB) is regarded as a potentially sustainable alternative resource to fossil fuels. To address concerns related to environmental degradation and geopolitical tensions arising from resource scarcity, the global focus shifted towards developing and utilising sustainable and Renewable Energy (RE) technologies. Biogas technology has attracted attention due to its promising potential to generate energy from agro-waste and the preservation of natural resources. Therefore, this review explores the potential of utilising RE, specifically focusing on its practical implementation in Malaysia. It critically evaluates pre-treatment methods suitable for the country’s prevalent biomass sources, offering insights into their applicability. Additionally, the article provides updated data on Malaysia’s strategy to advance RE production, particularly in biogas. Despite considerable efforts, there is a notable gap in comprehensively assessing the impact of pretreatment methods on LCB in Malaysia’s biogas production. Hence, this article critically assesses recent advancements to address this gap, focusing on potential challenges and the comparative effectiveness of treatment techniques in Malaysian biogas production. It is with the aim to shed light on associated drawbacks and suggest means to enhance performance. Finally, this article ends by reviewing economic analyses for pre-treatment in LCB, focusing on efficient biogas production.
KEYWORDS:1 Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
2 SMART Farming Technology Research Centre (SFTRC),
Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
3 International Institute of Aquaculture and
Aquatic Sciences (I-AQUAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Batu 7, Jalan Kemang 5, 70150 Port Dickson,
Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
4 Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University,
221 Agricultural Engineering Building, Shortlidge Road,
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
5 Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
6 Department of Process and Food Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
7 Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering and Technology,
Kwara State University, Malete 23431, Nigeria.
8 Department of Agricultural and Bio-Resources Engineering,
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, Nigeria.
* Corresponding author e-mail: hasfalina@upm.edu.my