Biomass

Tree trunk

Biomass is material derived from biological organisms. It is often used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Sometimes the terms biomass and biofuel are used interchangeably, while others consider biofuel to be a liquid or gaseous fuel used for transportation.

The most promising raw material feedstocks for the future are lignocellulosic (non-edible) biomass, such as coppices or perennial energy crops, agricultural residues, and biological waste, which also have the shortest delay before producing climate benefits. Biomass has a more efficient conversion from chemical to heat energy than electricity. Power plants using biomass as fuel can provide a stable power output, unlike the intermittent power from solar or wind farms.

Categories

Pile of bones

There are three main categories of biomass, including plant-based biomass (PbB), animal-based biomass (AbB), and organic-waste biomass (OwB) (all pictured to the right). PbB is comprised of cells strictly from the plantae kingdom, while AbB consists of cells from the animalia kingdom. OwB encompasses organic materials that are discarded or left over from other processes but can still be used for energy or composting. Examples of some commonly used PbB grown specifically for biomass are willow and bamboo due to their fast growth rates. Examples of commonly used AbB include animal manure, fats, and bones, which can be converted into biogas or biodiesel. Examples of OwB include food scraps, agricultural residues, and yard waste, all of which can be repurposed for energy generation or composting.

Grass clippings

Dependencies

• Biomass
• Fuel
• Heat
  • Electricity

See also

• Coal
• Charcoal
• Peat
• Wood

References

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Biomass, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (view authors).