How is biomass being used today?

Question

im doing a project on biomass and i need to know how biomass is being used and who is using it.

thanks :)

Answer 1

Biomass is carbon based and is composed of a mixture of organic molecules containing hydrogen, usually including atoms of oxygen, often nitrogen and also small quantities of other atoms, including alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metals.  These metals are often found in functional molecules such as the porphyrins which include chlorophyll which contains magnesium.

The carbon used to construct biomass is absorbed from the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2) by plant life, using energy from the sun.

Plants may subsequently be eaten by animals and thus converted into animal biomass. However the primary absorption is performed by plants.

If plant material is not eaten it is generally either broken down by microrganisms or burned:

If broken down it releases the carbon back to the atmosphere, mainly as either carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4), depending upon the conditions and processes involved.

If burned the carbon is returned to the atmosphere as CO2.

These processes have happened for as long as there have been plants on Earth and is part of what is known as the carbon cycle. biomass for energy can include a wide range of materials.

The realities of the economics mean that high value material for which there is an alternative market, such as good quality, large timber, are very unlikely to become available for energy applications.  However there are huge resources of residues, co-products and waste that exist in the UK which could potentially become available, in quantity, at relatively low cost, or even negative cost where there is currently a requirement to pay for disposal.

There are five basic categories of material:

Virgin wood, from forestry, arboricultural activities or from wood processing

Energy crops: high yield crops grown specifically for energy applications

Agricultural residues: residues from agriculture harvesting or processing

Food waste, from food and drink manufacture, preparation and processing, and post-consumer waste

Industrial waste and co-products from manufacturing and industrial processes