Alternative Low-Cost Biomass from Millet Residues for Renewable Energy and Chemical Production
Keywords:
Millet residues, Renewable energy, Biofuels, Biomass valorizationAbstract
The increasing global demand for sustainable energy and chemical feedstocks necessitates the exploration of alternative low-cost biomass resources. Millet residues, generated as agricultural by-products, offer a promising, underutilized source for renewable energy and chemical production due to their abundant availability, low economic cost, and high cellulose and hemicellulose content. This study investigates the potential of millet waste as a feedstock for biofuels and value-added chemicals, emphasizing its applicability in pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and combustion processes. The research synthesizes evidence from prior studies on lignocellulosic biomass utilization, bioenergy conversion efficiencies, and economic feasibility of residue valorization, providing a holistic understanding of millet residues’ potential.
The methodology integrates both qualitative and quantitative frameworks to assess biomass conversion pathways, including thermochemical and biochemical processes. Comparative analyses highlight millet residues’ advantages over conventional biomass sources, such as reduced land-use competition and lower cost of collection and processing. Furthermore, the study examines the challenges related to feedstock variability, moisture content, and logistics, contextualizing these factors within existing biomass energy models.
Findings suggest that millet residues can achieve energy conversion efficiencies comparable to other agro-wastes while offering additional economic incentives through chemical by-product recovery. However, practical implementation requires careful consideration of process optimization, supply chain management, and environmental sustainability metrics. This research underscores the strategic role of millet residues in transitioning toward circular bioeconomies, enhancing rural energy security, and promoting sustainable agricultural waste management.
Overall, the study contributes to the growing discourse on sustainable biomass utilization by presenting a comprehensive evaluation of millet residues as a low-cost feedstock. The insights provide a foundation for future experimental studies and industrial-scale applications, facilitating informed decision-making for policy, research, and commercial stakeholders (Deshwal & Singh, 2025).
Downloads
References
1. A. Demirbas et M. F. Demirbas, Algae Energy, vol. 53. 2010.
2. A. Oubelkacem, A. Scardigno, and R. Choukr-Allah, “Treated wastewater reuse on citrus in Morocco: assessing the economic feasibility of irrigation and nutrient management strategies,” Integr. Environ. Assess. Manag., vol. 16, pp. 898 - 909, 2020.
3. A. S. Gutiérrez, J. J. C. Eras, L. Hens, and C. Vandecasteele, “The energy potential of agriculture, agroindustrial, livestock, and slaughterhouse biomass wastes through direct combustion and anaerobic digestion. The case of Colombia,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 269, pp. 1 - 13, 2020.
4. Deshwal, R.K., Singh, S.P. (2025). Millet Waste as an Inexpensive Feedstock for Biofuel and Chemicals. In: Kumari, A., Rai, M.P., Veeramuthu, A., Mishra, A. (eds) Valorization of Solid Wastes to Biofuels and Chemical Products for Sustainable World. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-8594-3_16
5. E. Bucchignani, P. Mercogliano, H.-J. Panitz, and M. Montesarchio, “Climate change projections for the Middle East–North Africa domain with COSMO-CLM at different spatial resolutions,” Adv. Clim. Change Res., vol. 9, pp. 66 - 80, 2018.
6. O. Jbaihi, F.-Z. Ouchani, A. A. Merrouni, M. Cherkaoui, A. Ghennioui, and M. Maaroufi, “An AHP-GIS based site suitability analysis for integrating large-scale hybrid CSP+PV plants in Morocco: An approach to address the intermittency of solar energy,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 369, pp. 1 - 24, 2022.
7. Ram B. Gupta and Ayhan Demirbas, Gasoline, Diesel and Ethanol Biofuels from Grasses and Plants. 2010.
8. S. E. R. Gey, V. Y. A. Zo, C. H. A. Rules, et T. Analysis, “Isothermal and non-isothermal kinetics of thermally stimulated reactions of solids,” 1998.
9. S. Juhola, N. Klein, J. Käyhkö, and T.-S. S. Neset, “Climate change transformations in Nordic agriculture?,” J. Rural Stud., vol. 51, pp. 28 - 36, 2017.
10. S. Paper et K. Hawboldt, “A review on the pyrolysis of woody biomass to bio-oil: Focus on kinetic models,” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 52, p. 1580–1595, 2015.
11. T. H. W. Caye M. Drapcho, Nghiem Phu Nhuan, Biofuels Engineering Process Technology. 2011.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Ayesha Kumar (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles published by The Parthenon Frontiers and its associated journals are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License unless otherwise stated.
Authors retain full copyright of their published work. By submitting their manuscript, authors agree to grant The Parthenon Frontiers a non-exclusive license to publish, archive, and distribute the article worldwide. Authors are free to:
-
Share their article on personal websites, institutional repositories, or social media platforms.
-
Reuse their content in future works, presentations, or educational materials, provided proper citation of the original publication.
