Recent advances and future perspectives in the valorization of olive biomass for sustainable biorefinery applications
Luis Carlos Morán-Alarcón, Ángel Galán‐Martín, María del Mar Contreras, Eulógio Castro
Abstract
This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the valorization pathways of olive-derived biomasses—including pruning residues, leaves, pomace, and stones—as renewable feedstocks for developing sustainable biorefinery systems. Emphasis is placed on recent advances (2019–2024) in thermochemical, biochemical, and emerging conversion routes enabling the production of biofuels, bioenergy, biochemicals, and bio-based materials such as bioethanol, biomethane, hydrogen, bioplastics, and activated carbon. Novel approaches, including deep eutectic solvents and carbon capture integration, are discussed to enhance the process efficiency and sustainability of olive-based biorefineries. In addition to reviewing compositional characteristics and conversion pathways, the study integrates bibliometric and techno-economic insights and proposes a structured SWOT analysis. The review highlights current research gaps and outlines strategic directions to optimize system integration, reduce costs, and environmental impacts. Ultimately, this work positions olive biomass-based biorefineries as a potential pillar towards climate-resilient agro-industrial systems, but unresolved threats/weakness should be solved. • Updated data on olive biomass valorization is presented. • Significant availability of olive-derived biomass to drive flexible biorefineries. • Cascading processes are the goal to maximize resource and economic efficiency. • Bioethanol, biogas, and (bio)hydrogen are the primary types of studied biofuels. • Technological, economic, and regulatory challenges are still the main barriers.