BIOMASS

OBJECTIVES
• Learn about the pros and cons of biomass en
ergy and sustainability
• Learn about the production and implementati
on of biomass energy
• Learn about technical aspects of biomass an
d how they can be overcome
• Learn about the regulations impacting biomas
s use
• Develop an educated opinion about the susta
inability of biomass as an alternative energy
 OVERVIEW
•Biomass is a renewable energy source that is
derived from living or recently living
organisms.
•Biomass includes biological material, not
organic material like coal.
•Energy derived from biomass is mostly used
to generate electricity or to produce heat.
•Thermal energy is extracted by means of
combustion, torrefaction, pyrolysis, and
gasification.
•Biomass can be chemically and biochemically
treated to convert it to a energy-rich fuel.
http://www.coralre
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http://www.renegy.com/images/BiomassCycleChart_001.gif
http://www.volund.dk/var/volund
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HOW IT WORKS ?
Potential Energy Source?
• California produces more than 60 million bone dry ton
s of biomass each year.
• 5 million bone dry tons are now burned to make electr
icity
• If it were all used, the 60 million tons could make close
to 2,000 megawatts of electricity
• Would give enough energy to power 2 million homes
• About 6% of Canada’s energy needs are met by biomas
s, but that could be greatly increased
 Potential Energy Source?
• In the United States, we already get 45 billion kilowatt-
hours of electricity from biomass, about 1.2 percent of
our nation's total electric sales
• Estimates of the ultimate potential for biomass energy
vary, depending on agricultural forecasts, waste reduct
ion by industry, and paper recycling
• The Department of Energy believes that we could prod
uce four percent of our transportation fuels from bioma
ss by 2010, and as much as 20 percent by 2030
• For electricity, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) e
stimates that energy crops and crop residues alone co
uld supply as much as much as 14 percent of our pow
er needs.
Projected Nonhydroelectric Renewable
Electricity Energy Generation by Energy
Source, 2010 and 2020 (billion KWH)

Source: DOE Energy Information Administration

 DISAGREEMENTS

• Biomass has a smalle

r energy content for i
ts bulk than fossil fue
ls
• Costs of labor, transp
ortation, and storage
would then be highe
r
 ENVIRONMENTAL
ADVANTAGES
• Renewable resource
• Reduces landfills
• Protects clean water supplies
• Reduces acid rain and smog
• Reduces greenhouse gases
– Carbon dioxide
– Methane
BIOMASS AND CARBON
EMMISIONS
• Biomass emits carbon dioxide when it naturally
decays and when it is used as an energy source
• Living biomass in plants and trees absorbs carb
on dioxide from the atmosphere through photo
synthesis
• Biomass causes a closed cycle with no net emis
sions of greenhouse gases
 GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
• Comes from the fore
st
• Can also come from
plant and animal wa
ste
• Wood and waste can
be found virtually an
ywhere
• Transportation costs
 ENHANCEMENT
• Wood is the larg
est resource
• Expand by usin
g other plants, r
esidues, or wast
e
• Finding different
materials to use
as fuel
 DEVELOPMENT
• Many areas could be used
• Potentially supply more t
han 20% of US energy sup
ply
• Bioenergy crops will be
• More important in future
• Come closer to area that
• Need energy
TECHNICAL IMPEDIMENTS

• Trees and other biomass is hard to gath

er
• There is a low output of 34% energy gai
n
• Development of cheapo and reliable co
mbustion techniques that will not releas
e pollutants

http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_bm/article_1112_en.htm
 TECHNICAL
IMPEDIMENTS
• Development of gasification techniques th
at incorporate hydrogen to create syngas
• Biomass contains less energy per pound t
han fossil fuels
• Cost-inefficient to transport more than 50
miles before it is converted to fuel

http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_rt/nn_rt_bm/article_1112_en.htm
 SOLUTION

• The solution is to have decentralized proc

essing plants
• This means less transport of biomass
• This is more cost-efficient
• More reliable, regular, and better quality
• Less competition between companies

http://www.desipower.com/why/advntg_biomass.htm
 ENVIRONMENTAL
DISADVANTAGES
•Crop and forest residues often contain high
concentrations of important nutrients
•If the residue is harvested as energy, the
nutrients can be lost to the surrounding
environment.
•Other synthetic chemical nutrients or fertilizers
can later be added
•More plants and trees must be planted,
because they will be used in a higher quantity
LAWS AND REGULATIONS

 A number of federal laws and regulation apply t

o biomass energy deployment activities. For the
most part, state laws and regulations do not app
ly to biomass energy development on tribal land
s. Federal legal requirements apply to specific a
ctivities associated with biomass energy develo
pment.
 The impacts of a specific project will be determi
ned by factors such as the type and size of the
biomass facility, the amount of land disturbed by
construction activities, the amount of land in use
by facilities long term, the location of the site wit
h respect to other resources.
 GOVERNMENTAL
INITIATIVE

 California produces more than 60 million bone

dry tons of biomass each year. Of this total, fiv
e million bone dry tons is now burned to make
electricity.
 Many states promote biomass if cost, location
and resources are to their benefit
 SUSTAINIBILITY

 Biomass is sustainable but there is an expens

e in producing and converting biomass into fu
els and electricity.
 Collecting biomass turned out to be very diffe
rent than harvesting, as loggers gained more
experience the process became much more e
fficient.
 While biomass is one of the best forms of ren
ewable energy, it is not a great fuel.
 SUSTAINIBILITY
 Removing too much biomass can use up nutri
ents from the soil and possibly increase erosi
on.
 Biomass supplies about 15 times as much en
ergy then solar and wind in the United States,
and has the potential to supply much more.
 CONCLUSION
•Biomass is a potential alternative to
fossil fuels but it is not very viable.
•There are many problems in the
development and transportation of it and
carbon is a byproduct of processing of
biomass, just like it is a byproduct of
fossil fuels.
•There are better alternative energies.
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