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Introduction to Biomass
Biomass is organic matter that through the combustion process can be transformed into usable energy – Bioenergy.
The following are examples of biomass materials and where it could be sourced:
- Plant materials
- Residues from forest industries, forest floor
- By-products from wood remanufacturing
- Agricultural residues and waste products
- Municipal and industrial wastes (where the organic material is biological in origin; this would include wastewater treatment sludge or biosolids from pulp and paper and municipal sewage plants)
- Residues from rendering plants, ethanol/biodiesel production plants
- Construction sites, land clearings
- Husks/shells from grains, peanuts, walnuts, cotton seeds
- Peel from citrus fruits
Bioenergy is a carbon-neutral, environmentally friendly, sustainable energy source that has proven potential to relieve a significant portion of our reliance on fossil fuels. In North America energy from Biomass is critically underutilized and represents a tremendous opportunity for industry and individuals to take control of energy production costs and environmental impacts.
With the continuing rise in the cost of fossil fuels and concern over the environmental impact of our increasing energy consumption, energy from Biomass is increasingly recognized as the anchor for a strong future in renewable energy production. There is an abundance of resources available in North America and the availability of suitable and underutilized farmland fit for the growth of energy crops make the potential for Bioenergy to positively impact global warming and economic growth incredible.
Bioenergy can also turn the increasing problems with municipal waste in our cities into economic benefits and make a significant contribution to energy production. With proper sorting and an efficient, a state-of-the-art Waste-to-Energy plant can reduce the strain on our overfilled landfill sites while producing energy with emissions that easily fall within the most stringent guidelines in Canada. Europe is at the forefront of Waste-to-Energy production and North America is well on it’s way to embracing the idea as the proven benefits continue to roll in from the ongoing studies and the old notions of incinerations plants melt away opening up to clear understanding of today’s technology.