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Biomass, a renewable energy source, is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce heat. For example, forest residues (such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps), yard clippings and wood chips may be used as biomass.
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However, biomass also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers or chemicals. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. It excludes organic material such as fossil fuel which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum.
Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous types of plant, including miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane[2], and a variety of tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil). The particular plant used is usually not important to the end products, but it does affect the processing of the raw material.
Different types:
- Pellets (Generally made from compacted sawdust. They are usually produced as a byproduct of sawmilling and other wood transformation)
- Wood chips (Waste wood and residuals from construction, agriculture, landscaping, logging, and sawmills or locally grown and harvested fuel crops)
- Chopped wood
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Advantages
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Biomass combustion has a neutral CO2 balance and therefore does not contribute to the greehouse effect because the CO2 released during combustion was captured during the plant's growth.
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Very low sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions help prevent acid rain.
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Biomass valorization contributes in building an oil-free economy.
Disadvantages
- Biomass occupies a larger volume for the same energy capacity than fossile fuels. It also usually contains water that hampers combustion.
- The seasonal and decentralized harvesting of biomass is an obstacle to the continuous production of final biomass products.
- Because of the aforementioned, biomass poses problems during harvesting, transport and storage that increase the final cost.
- Modern biomass equipment is usually more expensive than fossile fuel equipment.
Source: http://el.wikipedia.org , http://www.greenpeace.org
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