Biomass

Bioenergy:

Bioenergy is energy derived from biological sources known as biomass from plant matter and animal waste. The major forms of biomass are: pulp and paper operation residues, forest residues, agricultural residues, urban wood waste, animal waste, landfill gas, and energy crops grown specifically for energy. Biomass for energy presents some major benefits over hydrocarbons, first and foremost it creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions. And while hydrocarbons take millions of years to form, biomass can be produced reasonably quickly.

Biodiesel:

Organic oils from sources such as rapeseed oil, soybeans, animal fats waste vegetable oils or microalgae oils are combined with methanol or ethanol and a catalyst to produce ethyl or methyl ester.

Ethanol:

Ethanol is an alcohol produced from biomass waste or grains like corn. It is blended with gasoline with up to 85% ethanol, called E85.

Creating Power from Biomass:

Bioenergy can be converted into power using four techniques:

Co-firing where woody biomass is burned in a coal plant to contribute between 1% and 15% of the energy produced at the plant.

Conventional Steam Boiler biomass is burned to produce steam to turn a turbine.

Biomass Gasification where solid biomass is converted into a gas and used to run a gas turbine.

Anaerobic Digestion where bacteria decomposes animal and plant matter to produce methane. The methane is used to produce energy by way of using gas turbines or fuel cells.

State of the Industry:

Currently, the world derives 11% of energy from biomass. In developing nations it is 35% and in the poorest nations 90%. The US is the largest generator of energy from biomass with over half the world supply. There is 7,800 MW of installed power capacity from biomass or 1% of the country’s total electricity generation capacity. And biomass represents 1.5% of the electric supply in the US with wind and solar combined constituting only 0.1%.

Fuel:

What is clear is that the biofuels industry for transportation fuel is increasing great guns as oil becomes increasingly expensive. What’s not clear is whether or not biofuels are a viable, environmental and economic solution to the problem of peak oil and environmental degradation. The Biomass Research and Develoment Initiative published figures that between 2000 and 2004 estimated consumption of biofuels in the US had an annual average increase of 14% for E85 and E10, and a massive 31% for biodiesel (where E10 is a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline and E85 is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline). When compared to the average increase in consumption of gasoline and diesel in the same time period, which only increased by 2%, it’s easy to see the wheels of change in motion.

The US Energy Administration (USEA) states that ethanol is significantly cleaner in terms of greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline as illustrated in this chart:

Advantages and Disadvantages:

However, while biomass for fuel may create fewer green house gas emissions, burning biomass causes air pollution, which is a significant health concern. In developing nations where mainly women burn biomass for cooking fuel indoors, death from disease related to pollution is a major health risk. Adding to the puzzle, investors must also consider what would happen to biomass like animal wastes and biomass industry residues and methane from landfills if they weren’t burned for fuel. Many of these bio substances contaminate the land if they are not properly disposed of. If biomass energy is to be adopted a viable system for reducing emissions from burning biomass seems to be a needed part of the energy equation.

The USEA also states that ethanol produces one third more energy than is required to produce it. However, safeguarding forest land and land for agriculture becomes increasingly important when we begin to consider growing crops for energy.

An alternative to diesel fuel is extremely important because there are dozens of millions of diesel engines in North America alone. Diesel trucks dominate the trucking industry and provide an important economic backbone in developed world. Diesel engines already in existence have a very long life so converting to a cleaner diesel fuel is extremely important.

A drawback to biodiesel is its current price. As of March 31, 2008 biodiesel cost US$4.70/gallon and diesel cost $3.27/gallon. Ethanol on the other hand is cheaper than gasoline at current market prices. E85 retails for US$2.77/gallon while gasoline is up to US$ 3.29/ gallon.