Regarding future research, it is of interest to sugar
manufacturing companies that in parallel to sugar-containing solutions,
beet pulp and beet leaves, as well as other lignocellulosics
(like weed separated from beet roots prior to their processing) are
potentially available for conversion to biofuels. As the use of pulp
and leaves as components of animal feed is in decline, there are
examples of such materials being successfully processed to
methane in full-scale biogas plants connected with sugar factories.
Depending on the development of methods of conversion of
lignocellulosic materials into feedstocks suitable for hydrogen
fermentation, in medium to long term it may be possible to produce
hydrogen also from beet pulp and beet leaves.