Biomass Energy
What is Biomass Energy?
The term "biomass" includes diverse fuels derived from timber, agriculture and food processing wastes or from fuel crops that are specifically grown or reserved for electricity generation. Biomass fuel can also include sewage sludge and animal manure.
Some biomass fuels are derived from trees. Given the capacity of trees to regenerate, these fuels are considered renewable.
By burning crop residues, sewage or manure, all wastes that are continually generated by society, to generate electricity may offer environmental benefits in the form of preserving precious landfill space or may be grown and harvested in ways that do not cause environmental harm.
At present, most biomass power plants burn lumber, agricultural or wood wastes. Direct Combustion power plants burn the biomass fuel directly in boilers that supply steam for the same kind of steam-electric generators used to burn fossil fuels.
With biomass gasification, biomass is converted into a gas - methane - that can then fuel steam generators, combustion turbines, combined cycle technologies or fuel cells. The primary benefit of biomass gasification, compared to direct combustion, is that extracted gasses can be used in a variety of power plant designs.
Because biomass technologies use combustion processes to produce electricity, they can generate electricity at any time, unlike wind and most solar technologies, which only produce when the wind is blowing or sun is shining.
Some biomass fuels are derived from trees. Given the capacity of trees to regenerate, these fuels are considered renewable.
By burning crop residues, sewage or manure, all wastes that are continually generated by society, to generate electricity may offer environmental benefits in the form of preserving precious landfill space or may be grown and harvested in ways that do not cause environmental harm.
At present, most biomass power plants burn lumber, agricultural or wood wastes. Direct Combustion power plants burn the biomass fuel directly in boilers that supply steam for the same kind of steam-electric generators used to burn fossil fuels.
With biomass gasification, biomass is converted into a gas - methane - that can then fuel steam generators, combustion turbines, combined cycle technologies or fuel cells. The primary benefit of biomass gasification, compared to direct combustion, is that extracted gasses can be used in a variety of power plant designs.
Because biomass technologies use combustion processes to produce electricity, they can generate electricity at any time, unlike wind and most solar technologies, which only produce when the wind is blowing or sun is shining.