Climate impact of some alternative uses for the lignin-rich byproduct from yeast oil production

Mistra Food Futures Report #6. Climate impact of some alternative uses for the lignin-rich byproduct from yeast oil production

Yeast oil can be produced from lignocellulosic materials such as straw and forest residues by oleaginous yeasts. In the conversion process, cellulose and hemicellulose are consumed to produce the oil, leaving the lignin fraction of the biomass. Some of this fraction is used for internal energy production in the biorefinery, but the remainder is a byproduct from the process.

This study explored the climate impact of alternative uses of the lignin-rich byproduct from a lignocellulosic biorefinery producing biodiesel from straw using oleaginous yeast.

­­­­ –  The results showed that straw harvesting and use in the biorefinery for production of biofuels and other products, such as asphalt ingredients, was beneficial for the overall climate impact compared with a fossil reference system, even when soil organic carbon losses due to straw harvesting were included. In a climate impact perspective, the most beneficial use of surplus lignin was as asphalt amendment, especially if the asphalt served as a carbon sink, expalins Hanna Karlsson Potter, researcher at Mistra Food Futures.

Authors

Hanna Karlsson Potter, Johanna Blomqvist, Volkmar Passoth (2022).

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Mistra Food Futures Report #6. Climate impact of some alternative uses for the lignin-rich byproduct from yeast oil production

About Mistra Food Futures

The overarching vision of the programme Mistra Food Futures is to create a science-based platform to enable transformation of the Swedish food system into one that is sustainable (in all three dimensions: environmental, economic, and social), resilient and delivers healthy diets. By taking a holistic perspective and addressing issues related to agriculture and food production, as well as processing, consumption and retail, Mistra Food Futures aims to play a key role in initiating an evidence-based sustainability (including environmental, economic, and social dimensions) and resilience transformation of the Swedish food system.