Biofuels and Biogas: Sustainable Energy Alternatives through Biotechnology

Abstract

Biotechnology-driven biofuels and biogas present scalable pathways to decarbonize heat, power, and transport while

valorizing organic wastes and residues. This paper reviews core conversion technologies—anaerobic digestion (AD) to

biogas/biomethane, fermentation to bioethanol and biobutanol, transesterification/hydrotreatment to biodiesel/HVO,

gasification plus Fischer–Tropsch (FT) or syngas fermentation to drop-in fuels, and algal biorefineries—assessing their

environmental performance, techno-economic drivers, and systemic roles within circular bioeconomies. Drawing on life-

cycle evidence and techno-economic reasoning, we demonstrate that waste-based bioenergy and advanced biofuels

can deliver substantial greenhouse-gas (GHG) abatement and co-benefits (nutrient recycling, decentralized energy, rural

jobs), provided feedstock sourcing, processing efficiency, and end-of-life pathways are well governed. The paper proposes

implementation principles, policy levers, and research priorities for scaling sustainable biofuel/biogas solutions.