What Is The Future For Biomass Energy?

BY Editor

Biomass is one of the most promising alternative sources of energy. Biomass energy can be sourced from a wide range of organic matter including agricultural waste, algae, organic waste, wood and plant products. The applications for this source of renewable energy are equally diverse including heat, electricity and transportation. Below we will look at what the future of Biomass energy holds, including potential new uses, as well as constraints that are likely to limit it’s application.

Europe Moves Towards Renewable Energy

The European Union has stated that by 2020 20% of its energy supplies will be from renewable sources. One of the primary sources of that renewable energy is likely to be Biomass. Demand for Biomass energy is already so strong that the European Union already annually consumes 7.7 million metric tons of wood pellets produced in the economic area. While solar and wind generation will also play an important role in replacing fossil fuels, Biomass is seen as critical if Europe is to meet the targets that it has set itself.

The Rise Of Biogas

Biogas is derived through the process of mechanisation from organic waste. New technology is being developed to allow Biogas to be produced from a much wider range of organic material. This will include both industrial and agricultural waste. The ability to produce usable energy from these sources indicates a potentially exciting new future for waste disposal.

The Decline Of The Paper Economy

The evolution of the digital economy means that more media is being absorbed without requiring paper. In particular this has had the most significant effect on the newspaper industry where readership has fallen dramatically. In addition many people are choosing to absorb books using a digital reader than a traditional paper or hardback book. Businesses are also increasingly shifting to a paperless economy. All of the trends are having an impact on rural areas which rely on forestry for their economic survival. Biomass energy offers an alternative use for wood products. This will help to ensure that as the traditional demand for forest products decline that forests continue to be properly managed and that rural areas do not suffer economically.

Biofuels For Transportation

Biofuels are a promising source of energy that will play an increasing role in meeting our transportation energy needs. Biofuels can be used to power not only public transportation but private vehicles as well. Microorganisms may be used to convert organic plant material into sugar and then into usable bioethanol. This will allow currently unusable parts of plant material such as the stems as a source of energy we can use in transportation.

Improved Wood Burning Stoves

One of the most common uses of Biomass technology is the wood-burning stove. While the burning of wood does produce pollutants such as carbon monoxide and fine dust, steps are being taken to improve this technology. In particular appliances are becoming more fuel-efficient and are being fitted with improved smoke filters that limit the amount of pollutants that are produced. As the environmental performance of wood burning stoves improves this will be an increasingly viable source of energy production.

Summary

Biomass will become an increasingly common source of energy as the demand for renewable energy sources rises. The European Union has committed to moving away from fossil fuels and Biomass will play a significant role in filling the gap this leaves. Biomass technology is also becoming increasingly sophisticated and can be sourced by an ever-wider range of organic material.

Author C McDonald – I am a keen blogger of all thigns ‘green’. I have been investigating how realisitic renewable sources can take over from fossil fuels. Biomass is a technology that the UK is investing heavily in and I was unsure of exactly what biomass actually is. I felt the need to research and share my findings! I researched many of the detail from www.havenpower.com