Current energy systems need a vast transformation to meet the key demands of the 21st century: reduced environmental impact, economic viability and efficiency. An essential part of this energy revolution is bioenergy.

The movement towards widespread implementation of first generation biofuels is still in its infancy, requiring continued evaluation and improvement to be fully realised. Problems with current bioenergy strategies, for example competition over land use for food crops, do not yet have satisfactory solutions. The second generation of biofuels, based around cellulosic ethanol, are now in development and are opening up new possibilities for future energy generation. Recent advances in genetics have pioneered research into designer fuels and sources such as algae have been revealed as untapped bioenergy resources.

As global energy requirements change and grow, it is crucial that all aspects of the bioenergy production process are streamlined and improved, from the design of more efficient biorefineries to research into biohydrogen as an energy carrier. Current energy infrastructures need to be adapted and changed to fulfil the promises of biomass for power generation.

Biofuels provides a forum for all stakeholders in the bioenergy sector, featuring review articles, original research, commentaries, news, research and development spotlights, interviews with key opinion leaders and much more, with a view to establishing an international community of bioenergy communication.

As biofuel research continues at an unprecedented rate, the development of new feedstocks and improvements in bioenergy production processes provide the key to the transformation of biomass into a global energy resource. With the twin threats of climate change and depleted fossil fuel reserves looming, it is vitally important that research communities are mobilized to fully realize the potential of bioenergy.