Commercial feasibility of lignocellulose biodegradation: Possibilities and challenges

The main source of energy supply worldwide is generated from fossil fuels, which undoubtedly are finite and non-environmental friendly resources. Bioethanol generated from edible resources also has economic and environmental concerns. Despite the immense attention to find an alternative (inedible) source of energy in the last two decades, the total commercial production of 1st generation biofuels is limited and equivalent only to approximately 3% of the total road transport fuel consumption. Lignocellulosic waste represents the most abundant biomass on earth and could be a suitable candidate for producing valuable products including biofuels. However, cellulosic bioethanol has not been produced on a large scale due to the technical barriers involved that make the commercial production of cellulosic bioethanol not economically feasible. This review examines some of the current barriers to commercialization of the process.