An introduction to commercializing biobased products: Opportunities, challenges, benefits, and risks

Biobased products have been the next big thing for about two decades. Speak to a scientist or engineer in the field and you will hear a hundred reasons why investments should focus on products rather than fuels. Products have higher profit margins. The market volumes of products are more amenable to biobased feedstocks and biobased products. While biobased feedstocks are close to 50% oxygen, fuels contain very little oxygen. The oxygen content of biobased products such as alcohols, carboxylic acids and esters much more closely match the feedstock, and therefore, are more atom efficient. The editor has engaged in the field since 1999. While we have seen dramatic progress in commercialization since about 2013, production of biobased products are still orders of magnitude less than biofuels. While biofuels have received significant public support including tax credits, blending mandates, and state incentives, biobased products do not have mandates or economic incentives in the US.