Harnessing plant power: Innovations in biofuels and renewable energy from botanical sources - a comprehensive review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64171/IJPR.2026.6.3.1-11Keywords:
Biofuels, Renewable energy, Botanical sources, Lignocellulosic biomass, Algal biofuels, BiorefineryAbstract
The escalating global demand for sustainable energy has catalysed transformative research in plant-derived biofuels and botanical renewable energy systems. This chapter comprehensively examines innovations spanning first-generation feedstocks such as Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane) and Zea mays (maize) to advanced fourth-generation engineered microalgae and synthetic biology platforms. Key breakthroughs in lignocellulosic conversion, algal lipid enhancement, genetic engineering of oilseed crops, and thermochemical processing are critically analysed within the Indian context. The review evaluates techno-economic feasibility, life-cycle carbon assessments, and policy frameworks including India's National Policy on Biofuels 2018. Seven detailed tables and eight original figures supplement the quantitative analysis. The findings underscore that integrated biorefineries coupled with genetically optimised botanical feedstocks represent a viable pathway toward India's net-zero targets by 2070, provided scalable investment and robust regulatory mechanisms are sustained.
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