Biomass and the environment

Impact Air Greenhouse gases (from combustion, agricultural or harvesting practices for energy crops) Particulate matter (from combustion) Land Land Use Wildlife and biodiversity

Biomass energy is associated with important environmental benefits. Some industry analysts and environmentalists consider biomass to be “greenhouse gas neutral.” (In other words, although carbon dioxide is emitted when biomass is burned, an equal amount of the gas is absorbed from the atmosphere during the growth phases of the trees and crops that serve as biomass fuels.) This combustion releases almost no sulphur and very few toxic metals. Biomass sources such as wood contain less nitrogen than coal, reducing fuel-caused nitrogen oxide emissions. And by burning unused materials like bark, construction waste and tree clippings, it is possible to reduce the waste volumes sent to landfills.

But biomass energy also has environmental impacts. When combusted directly or used in gasification, biomass resources release other air emissions to the atmosphere. These emissions depend on the choice of biomass materials and the technologies and pollution controls used.