Anaerobic digestion as a key technology for biomass valorization: contribution to the energy balance of biofuel chains

This chapter discusses the role of anaerobic digestion (AD) within biomass chains. It does so by firstly contextualizing the topic, highlighting the main possibilities opening up for different chains given the intrinsic advantages of AD. Next, a typology of AD cascades is set out and the possibilities of each cascade outlined following cascade chain theory. A methodology is then introduced for assessing the contributing role of AD to the energy balance of biomass chains. Finally, the framework is applied to three biofuel chains in Colombia. The implications of different chain configurations are discussed.