Katerina Swanson
Biomass is a semi-renewable energy resource that comes from plants and animals. It is considered semi-renewable because it must be carefully managed to ensure it is not used faster than it can be replenished. The use of biomass as fuel has the potential to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2023, biomass accounted for about 5% of U.S. energy consumption. Commercial biomass, or modern bioenergy, provides heat and electricity and is estimated to account for 6% of total end-use energy consumed worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of total primary energy use in the US in 2023 | 5% |
| Amount of total primary energy use in the US in 2023 | 4,978 trillion British thermal units (TBtu) |
| Sector with the largest amount of energy content in the US in 2023 | Industrial sector |
| Percentage of biogas consumed in the US in 2023 | 17% (California), 6% (Vermont) |
| Percentage of worldwide end-use energy consumption | 6% |
| Percentage of forest area used for wood production or other commercial purposes | 33% |
| Percentage of biomass used for energy that comes from forests | 85% |
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What You'll Learn
Biomass sources: plants, wood, crops, municipal waste
Biomass is converted to energy through various processes, with direct combustion being the most common method. All biomass can be burned directly to produce heat for buildings, water, industrial processes, and steam turbines for electricity generation.
Plants as Biomass Sources
Plants are a significant source of biomass, with dedicated energy crops specifically grown to provide biomass. Herbaceous energy crops, including grasses like switchgrass, miscanthus, bamboo, and wheatgrass, are harvested annually after reaching full productivity in 2-3 years. These crops offer various benefits, such as improving water and soil quality, enhancing wildlife habitats, and diversifying income sources for farmers.
Wood as Biomass Sources
Wood is a traditional and widely used biomass resource, particularly in developing countries, where it is relied upon for heating, lighting, and cooking. In industrial sectors, wood is used for firing ceramics, tiles, bricks, and generating hot water or steam. Wood processing residues, such as sawdust, bark, branches, and leaves, can be converted into biofuels or bioproducts, providing an inexpensive and convenient biomass source.
Crops as Biomass Sources
Crops can also be a source of biomass, with dedicated energy crops grown on marginal land unsuitable for traditional crops. Short-rotation woody crops, including hybrid poplar and willow, are fast-growing hardwood trees harvested within 5-8 years of planting. These crops can improve soil and water quality, enhance wildlife habitats, and increase farm productivity.
Municipal Waste as Biomass Sources
Municipal solid waste, garbage, or trash can be used to generate electricity in waste-to-energy power plants. This waste includes residential and commercial garbage, such as yard trimmings, paper, plastics, textiles, and food waste. By utilising this waste for energy production, there is an opportunity to reduce landfill waste and improve waste management.
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Direct combustion: burning biomass for heat and electricity
Direct combustion is the most common method for converting biomass to energy. All biomass can be burned directly to produce heat and electricity. The combustion process is largely affected by the moisture content of the fuel. A biomass with high moisture content is not suitable for direct combustion. In order to sustain combustion in a boiler, biomass is often burnt at a moisture level below 55–65 wt%, while the optimum moisture content could be as low as 10–15 wt%.
Direct combustion is a thermochemical technique in which the biomass is burned in open air or in the presence of excess air. In this process, the photosynthetically stored chemical energy of the biomass is converted into gases. Generally, direct combustion is carried out inside a furnace, steam turbine, or boiler at a temperature range of 800–1000 °C. This process is suitable for all types of biomass, which has a low moisture content of less than 50%. The cost of energy production from direct combustion is slightly higher compared to pyrolysis and gasification due to the need for pre-treatment of biomass, such as dehydrating, cutting, and crushing, before introducing it into the combustion chamber.
In a direct combustion system, biomass is burned in a combustor or furnace to generate hot gas, which is fed into a boiler to generate steam, which is expanded through a steam turbine or steam engine to produce mechanical or electrical energy. In a direct combustion system, processed biomass is the boiler fuel that produces steam to operate a steam turbine and generator to make electricity. Direct combustion systems feed a biomass feedstock into a combustor or furnace, where the biomass is burned with excess air to heat water in a boiler to create steam. Instead of direct combustion, some developing technologies gasify the biomass to produce a combustible gas, and others produce pyrolysis oils that can be used to replace liquid fuels.
Biomass feedstocks for thermal conversion include raw materials such as municipal solid waste (MSW) and scraps from paper or lumber mills. Before biomass can be burned, however, it must be dried. This chemical process is called torrefaction. During torrefaction, biomass is heated to about 200° to 320° Celsius (390° to 610° Fahrenheit). The biomass dries out so completely that it loses the ability to absorb moisture, or rot. It loses about 20% of its original mass but retains 90% of its energy. The lost energy and mass can be used to fuel the torrefaction process.
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Gasification: converting biomass to synthesis gas
Biomass is a semi-renewable energy resource that comes from plants and animals. It has been used for fuel since the earliest hominids first made wood fires for cooking and warmth. Today, biomass is used for fuel in many countries, especially for cooking and heating in developing countries. In 2023, biomass provided nearly 5% of total primary energy use in the United States.
Gasification is a thermochemical conversion process that can be used to convert biomass into synthesis gas or syngas. This process involves heating organic materials, such as biomass, to temperatures between 1,400°F and 1,700°F (800°C and 900°C) in a closed, pressurized vessel called a gasifier. During this process, controlled amounts of oxygen and/or steam are injected into the vessel. This thermal decomposition process produces a carbon monoxide and hydrogen-rich gas, known as synthesis gas or syngas.
Syngas has a wide range of applications and can be used as a fuel for diesel engines, for heating, and for generating electricity in gas turbines. Additionally, the hydrogen can be separated from the syngas and used in fuel cells or burned directly. The Fischer-Tropsch process can further convert syngas into liquid fuels. This process involves a series of chemical reactions that convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons.
Gasification is an efficient way to convert biomass into a versatile fuel source. Syngas can be used directly for various applications or further processed into liquid fuels, making it a valuable product with multiple uses in energy production.
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Liquid biofuels: ethanol, biodiesel, and vegetable oils
Biofuels are bio-based products that can be in solid, liquid, or gaseous forms. Liquid biofuels are primarily ethanol, biodiesel, and vegetable oils. They are derived from processing plant matter or waste such as cooking oil into substitutes for or additives to traditional vehicle fuels, including gasoline for automobiles, diesel for trucks and ships, and jet fuel for planes.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be made from various plant materials, collectively known as "biomass." It is an alcohol used as a blending agent with gasoline to increase octane and cut down carbon monoxide and other smog-causing emissions. The most common blend of ethanol is E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) and is approved for use in most conventional gasoline-powered vehicles up to E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline). Some vehicles, called flexible fuel vehicles, are designed to run on E85 (a gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51-83% ethanol, depending on geography and season). Ethanol can also be made from cellulosic biomass, derived from non-food sources, such as trees and grasses.
Biodiesel is a liquid fuel produced from renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils, and animal fats. It is a cleaner-burning replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuel. Biodiesel is non-toxic and biodegradable and is produced by combining alcohol with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled cooking grease. It can be blended with petroleum diesel in any percentage, including B100 (pure biodiesel) and B20 (a blend containing 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel). Biodiesel is the most common biofuel in Europe, with a 5% blend widely available in many countries and an 8% blend used in all French diesel vehicles.
Vegetable oils are used to produce biodiesel, which can be combined with alcohol to create a liquid biofuel. This process is called transesterification, a chemical conversion process that converts vegetable oils, animal fats, and greases into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME).
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Biogas: renewable natural gas from sewage and waste
Biomass is a semi-renewable energy resource that comes from plants and animals. It is considered semi-renewable because its use must be carefully managed to ensure that it is not being used faster than it can be replenished. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste.
Biomass can be burned directly for heat or converted into liquid and gaseous fuels through various processes. Liquid biofuels and biogas are energy carriers that are easier to use, transport, and store. Humans have been using biomass for heating, cooking, and lighting for thousands of years. Traditional biomass, such as wood, peat, or animal waste, is easy to store but has a low energy density and generates severe indoor air pollution.
Biogas, also known as renewable natural gas or biomethane, is produced in anaerobic digesters at sewage treatment plants and dairy and livestock operations. It also forms in and can be captured from solid waste landfills. Properly treated biogas has the same uses as fossil fuel natural gas. In 2023, biomass accounted for about 5% of U.S. energy consumption, or approximately 4,978 trillion British thermal units (TBtu).
Commercial biomass can be divided into three categories: solid biomass, liquid biofuels, and biochemical. Solid biomass includes woody materials, crops, municipal solid waste, and animal and agricultural waste that can be directly burned to produce heat or generate electricity. Liquid biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel, which are produced by processing plant matter or waste into substitutes for traditional vehicle fuels. Biochemical processes involve converting biomass into chemicals for making plastics and other products typically derived from petroleum.
Biogas production offers several benefits. For example, the Bowenpally market in India converts unsold vegetables into biogas that powers buildings, streetlights, and a kitchen serving 800 meals a day. Additionally, tapping waste streams for bioenergy can reduce the negative impacts of land use change, such as deforestation or the conversion of peat swamps to fuel crops, which releases carbon dioxide and methane.
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Frequently asked questions
In 2023, biomass accounted for about 5% of total US primary energy consumption, or about 4,978 trillion British thermal units (TBtu). Commercial biomass, on the other hand, accounts for about 6% of total end-use energy consumed worldwide.
Biomass fuel is matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms used for bioenergy production. It is a semi-renewable energy resource that comes from plants and animals.
Biomass can be burned directly for heat or converted to liquid and gaseous fuels through various processes. The most common method for converting biomass to useful energy is direct combustion. Other processes include pyrolysis, gasification, and biological conversion.
The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste. Other sources include food crops, grassy and woody plants, agricultural and forestry residues, oil-rich algae, and the organic components of municipal and industrial waste.
Biomass has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil. It is a renewable liquid transportation fuel that can be used in place of fossil fuels.
