TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The hydrolysis catalyst in step (a) is sulfur dioxide (preferred), sulfur trioxide, sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid, sulfonic acid, lignosulfonic acid, elemental sulfur, and/or polysulfides, or their derivatives. The hydrolysis catalyst is present in a liquid-phase concentration of 1-50 (preferably 6-30) wt.% during step (a).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process integration includes: pinch analysis and energy optimization for each step in the process; concentrating the fermentable sugars, recovering a condensate stream from it, and introducing the condensate stream to a fermenter feed stream, or introducing the condensate stream to a fermenter nutrient system, or using the condensate stream for washing the cellulose-rich solids in step (b); sterilizing a fermenter or fermenter feed stream with a vapor take-off from one or more evaporators used for concentrating the fermentable sugars or the fermentation product; pre-cooling a fermenter feed stream with a product stream comprising the fermentation product; concentrating the fermentation product in a non-externally-heated effect of a multiple-effect evaporation unit; using vapor recompression and vacuum pumping to concentrate the fermentation product, to minimize cooling water requirements; concentrating one or more organic waste streams and combusting the organic waste streams with lignin or another biomass-derived material; recovering the solvent for lignin that remains absorbed in the cellulose-rich solids after step (b), by feeding one or more condensate streams and/or one or more waste streams to a stripping column; utilizing a rectifier reflux condenser to pre-evaporate stillage from a fermentation product distillation column; preheating demineralized water; preheating turbine condenser condensate; and integration of an evaporator associated with step (d), with a stripper and a beer column stillage evaporator. The non-externally-heated effect is the last effect of the multiple-effect evaporation unit. The hydrolyzing in step (c) utilizes the hydrolysis catalyst from step (a) or its reaction product i.e. lignosulfonic acid. The step (b) includes countercurrent washing of the cellulose-rich solids. A portion of the fermentation product is recycled to step (a) for use as the solvent for lignin. The process further comprises: hydrolyzing at least a portion of the cellulose-rich solids into glucose, and optionally fermenting the glucose to the fermentation product; and recovering the lignin and/or lignosulfonates. The steps (a) and (b) are optionally combined in a single vessel. The process comprises recovering the glucose and the hemicellulosic monomers as fermentable sugars, separately or in a combined stream. Preferred Components: The solvent for lignin facilitates a higher mass transfer rate of the hydrolysis catalyst into the lignocellulosic biomass, compared to the mass transfer rate of the hydrolysis catalyst into the lignocellulosic biomass with water alone. The solvent for lignin comprises: an oxygenated hydrocarbon, preferably a 1-8C aliphatic or aromatic alcohol; an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon; an organic acid; an inorganic acid; or an ionic liquid. The fermentation product has a higher normal boiling point compared to the water. The relative volatility of the fermentation product with water is calculated at 25 degrees C. The relative volatility of the fermentation product with water is calculated at the temperature of the digester in step (a). The relative volatility of the fermentation product with water is calculated at the temperature of recovering in step (f). EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.