Bio-refineries as a sustainable tool to

simultaneously address energy and food security: A

Jerusalem artichoke perspective

Introduction

The increase in population and income growth lead to competition for resources to meet food, water and energy security

The complex interactions among population growth, food, water and energy security further complicates efforts to curb climate change

Biorefining as a sustainable tool to food, water and energy security

Alternative/Renewable resources and valorisation methods are important to simultaneously curb climate change and meet the increasing food and energy demand

Biorefining offers an integrated solution to exploit biomass for food, feed and energy production

JA tubers are one such feedstock option for biorefining

JA is suitable due to good agronomic traits such as minimal water, fertiliser and pesticides requirements

Possible approaches to JA exploitation

Shortfalls to currently proposed approaches to JA exploitation

Stalk composed of lignocelluloic fibres which are highly recalcitrant

The use of tubers for ethanol production may be seen as a threat to food security

Currently there is no experimental data on integrated approaches for JA bio-refining

Justification for tubers as choice of feedstock

JA tubers have a higher yield/ha compared to leaves and stalks

Tubers have a more diverse composition of potential high-value components

Tubers are largely composed of inulin which is easily accessible compared to the LCF from the stalks

Tuber composition makes them a better candidate to simultaneously solve food, feed and energy security threats

JA-tubers biorefinery concept

Protein

extraction

Inulin

extraction

Protein

extractionInulin

extraction

Ethanol Ethanol

Objectives of the study

Integrate protein extraction into the conventional inulin extraction process,without compromising the yield and quality of both products

To valorize the protein-inulin extraction residues into bioethanol

Sequential and selective extraction

A three-step approach was adopted

Achieving selective extraction

Mechanical pressing

Protein extraction at room temp

Hot water inulin

extraction

48.2% Protein Yield

52% Protein yield

76%Inulin Yield

a

b

c

0

5

10

15

20

25

5 10 15

Act

ual

% Y

ield

Solid loading (w/v %)

inulin

protein

Differential solubility relative to temperature

Differential mass transfer relative to solids loading

Conceptual JA biorefinery

5 tonnes fresh tubers

(80% Moisture content)

Tuber

rasping

Solid

residue

(50%

fermentable

sugars)

Solvent

protein

extraction

Inulin

extraction

(Hot-water

diffusion)

Pressing

the mash

Tuber juice

28 Kg protein

14 kg inulin

Liquid fraction

18 Kg protein

Liquid fraction

469 kg of inulin

Biodiesel

SCP

Ethanol

Concluding remarks

Solvent-free protein extraction was essential for selective fractionation of proteins from inulin

Moreover, it is a significant component in minimizing water usage and waste water generation

JA based biorefinery has a potential to provide a food/feed and energy products

The biorefinery also has potential for socioeconomic development in rural economies due to the low inputs demand and skills requirement for JA cultivation

Q &A