Frequently asked questions - Biomass
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Question:
How is biomass converted to energy?
Answer:
There are three primary ways to convert biomass to energy:
1) Thermal —The oldest and most common way is to burn biomass to create heat. This can be used directly for heating, cooking and industrial processes, or indirectly to generate electricity. At biomass power plants, biomass is burned in a boiler to produce high-pressure steam, which, in turn drives a turbine to generate electricity.
2) Thermochemical —By heating (but not burning) plant matter, it is possible to break down biomass into gases, liquids and solids, which can be further processed into gas and liquid fuels like methane and alcohol. Biomass reactors heat biomass in a low-oxygen environment to produce a fuel gas (mostly methane), which can then fuel steam generators, combustion turbines, combined cycle technologies or fuel cells.
3) Biochemical —Adding bacteria, yeasts and enzymes to biomass liquids causes biomass materials to ferment and change into alcohol. A similar process is used to turn agricultural products into ethanol (grain alcohol), which is then mixed with gasoline to make an ethanol-gasoline blend. And when bacteria are used to break down biomass, methane is produced and can be captured from landfills and sewage treatment plants to produce fuel for heat and power.
1) Thermal —The oldest and most common way is to burn biomass to create heat. This can be used directly for heating, cooking and industrial processes, or indirectly to generate electricity. At biomass power plants, biomass is burned in a boiler to produce high-pressure steam, which, in turn drives a turbine to generate electricity.
2) Thermochemical —By heating (but not burning) plant matter, it is possible to break down biomass into gases, liquids and solids, which can be further processed into gas and liquid fuels like methane and alcohol. Biomass reactors heat biomass in a low-oxygen environment to produce a fuel gas (mostly methane), which can then fuel steam generators, combustion turbines, combined cycle technologies or fuel cells.
3) Biochemical —Adding bacteria, yeasts and enzymes to biomass liquids causes biomass materials to ferment and change into alcohol. A similar process is used to turn agricultural products into ethanol (grain alcohol), which is then mixed with gasoline to make an ethanol-gasoline blend. And when bacteria are used to break down biomass, methane is produced and can be captured from landfills and sewage treatment plants to produce fuel for heat and power.
Question:
What is bioenergy?
Answer:
Bioenergy is energy derived from biomass. Biomass is any sort of plant matter or animal wastes. From it, we can extract stored energy.
Biomass energy, or “bioenergy,” is stored in organic matter with the help of the sun. A common example is wood. To create wood, trees manufacture cellulose from sugars, which they make during photosynthesis. Because cellulose is made from sugars, it contains stored chemical energy. This energy is released as heat when wood is burned.
Biomass is one of our oldest sources of energy, having been used for thousands of years, ever since people began to burn wood to cook food, to keep warm or to forge metal. Today fossil fuels have largely replaced biomass as the major source of energy in industrialized countries, but new opportunities for biomass energy are developing as environmental and economic concerns encourage governments, industries and consumers to explore alternatives to fossil fuels, including renewable sources such as biomass. Today biomass is not only used for cooking and heating but also to fuel vehicles and increasingly to generate electricity and heat for industrial processes.
Biomass energy, or “bioenergy,” is stored in organic matter with the help of the sun. A common example is wood. To create wood, trees manufacture cellulose from sugars, which they make during photosynthesis. Because cellulose is made from sugars, it contains stored chemical energy. This energy is released as heat when wood is burned.
Biomass is one of our oldest sources of energy, having been used for thousands of years, ever since people began to burn wood to cook food, to keep warm or to forge metal. Today fossil fuels have largely replaced biomass as the major source of energy in industrialized countries, but new opportunities for biomass energy are developing as environmental and economic concerns encourage governments, industries and consumers to explore alternatives to fossil fuels, including renewable sources such as biomass. Today biomass is not only used for cooking and heating but also to fuel vehicles and increasingly to generate electricity and heat for industrial processes.