Biomass (energy)

We can get energy from things that lived.

This includes wood from trees. It also includes old crops and waste.

Wood is a very big source. We can burn it for heat. We can also make small pellets. These pellets are easy to move.

Some plants make fuel for cars. Corn and sugar can do this. This makes a liquid fuel.

We can also use leftover waste. This includes sawdust and straw. It is good to use these bits.

New trees help the air. They take in the air we breathe. This helps keep our world healthy.

Biomass is matter from things that were recently alive.

We use this matter to make bioenergy. This is a type of renewable energy. Most biomass comes from plants.

Wood is the largest source of biomass today. We can burn wood for heat. We can also make wood pellets. These are small, hard bits of wood. They are easy to move and store.

We can also use waste. This includes wood scraps and straw from farms. Using waste is a smart way to get power. It keeps these bits from rotting in a landfill.

Some plants make liquid fuel. We call these biofuels. Corn and sugar cane can make bioethanol. Oil from crops like rapeseed can make biodiesel. These fuels help move cars and trucks.

Using biomass can help the climate. When we burn wood, it lets out carbon dioxide. But new trees can help. As new trees grow, they take that gas out of the air.

This helps keep the air clean.

Biomass is matter from living things that have recently died.

We use this matter to create bioenergy, which is a type of renewable energy. Most of this energy comes from plants. Some people use the word biofuel to talk about biomass. Biofuel usually means a liquid or gas used for transport. This includes fuels made from corn, sugar cane, or soy. Using biomass can help manage climate change.

There are many ways to turn raw biomass into useful fuel. One way is thermal conversion, which uses heat to change the matter. For example, torrefaction heats organic material to 400–600 °F. This process removes parts with low energy and leaves high-energy parts. Another way is chemical conversion, like transesterification. This process turns vegetable oils or animal fats into biodiesel. You can also use biochemical conversion. This uses tiny microorganisms to break down the molecules. These small life forms can turn biomass into bioethanol through fermentation.

People have used biomass for a very long time. In many developing countries, people use wood for cooking and heating. This uses about 25 EJ of energy every year. However, this can cause pollution that leads to many deaths. The World Health Organization says this causes 3.8 million deaths each year. Because of this, the United Nations wants to change how people cook by 2030. Today, we are finding better ways to use forest and farm waste. These new methods are much safer and cleaner for everyone.

Forests are a huge part of the biomass world. Forests provide 85% of all biomass used for energy globally. There are about 4 billion hectares of forest in the world. In the European Union, forests provide 60% of all biomass energy. Wood is the largest source of biomass used today.

We also use agricultural residues like straw. Straw makes up 51 EJ of the energy in agricultural waste. Using these leftovers is a very smart way to find energy.

Biomass is linked to how we take care of our planet. When we burn wood, it releases carbon dioxide into the air.

We can offset this if we plant new trees. New trees take carbon dioxide out of the air as they grow. However, growing too many energy crops can be a hard job for nature. It can use too much water or take land away from food. We must balance using biomass with protecting our soil and plants.

Biomass refers to organic matter from recently living organisms that is used for bioenergy production. This includes a wide variety of materials like wood, agricultural residues, and organic waste from households. Most biomass used for energy comes from plants, though some definitions include algae or animals. Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy that can help mitigate climate change. While people often use the terms biomass and biofuel interchangeably, biofuel is actually a specific subset. Biofuel refers to liquid or gaseous fuels used for transportation, such as those made from corn or soy.

There are two main categories of biomass: primary and secondary. Primary biomass is harvested directly for energy purposes. This includes wood, perennial energy crops, and certain food crops. Secondary biomass consists of residues and waste. These are by-products from materials originally harvested for other reasons. For example, wood residues come from forestry operations or the wood processing industry. Agricultural residues, such as straw, are also a major source of secondary biomass.

To make raw biomass more practical, it must undergo conversion. This process upgrades the material into higher-grade fuels. One method is thermal conversion, which uses heat as the primary driver. Torrefaction is a mild form of thermal conversion. It involves heating organic material to 400–600 °F in a low-oxygen environment. This process removes low-energy parts and leaves behind a high-energy solid. This product is water-resistant and can even compete with coal for electricity generation.

Other thermal methods include pyrolysis and gasification. Pyrolysis heats material to 800–900 °F in the near complete absence of oxygen. This produces bio-oil, charcoal, methane, and hydrogen. Gasification uses much higher temperatures, between 1,400 and 1,700 °F. It injects controlled amounts of oxygen or steam into the vessel. This creates synthesis gas, or syngas, which can power diesel engines or generate electricity. Chemical conversion is another path, such as transesterification. This process converts vegetable oils and animal fats into biodiesel.

Biochemical conversion uses the natural processes of microorganisms to break down molecules. Common methods include fermentation, anaerobic digestion, and composting. Fermentation is used to turn biomass into bioethanol. In the United States, corn is a major source for bioethanol production. The European Union is the largest producer of biodiesel, often using oil-producing crops like rapeseed. These "first-generation" biofuels are made from food crops. Currently, global bioethanol and biodiesel production provide 2.2 and 1.5 EJ of energy per year, respectively.

Forests play a massive role in the global biomass supply. Forests provide 85% of all biomass used for energy worldwide. Of the 4 billion hectares of global forest area, one third is used for commercial purposes. In the European Union, forests provide 60% of all biomass energy. Wood is the largest biomass source used today. However, traditional wood use for cooking in developing countries can be highly polluting. The World Health Organization estimates this pollution causes 3.8 million deaths annually. The United Nations aims to phase out this traditional use by 2030.

Using biomass has significant implications for the environment and land use. Burning wood releases carbon dioxide, but this can be offset by planting new trees. New trees remove carbon dioxide from the air as they grow. However, farming biomass can also reduce biodiversity and degrade soils. It can consume large amounts of water for irrigation and require fertilizers. There is a balance to maintain between energy needs and food production. Experts believe global land and water resources are adequate to support both food and carbon-neutral energy needs.