Biomass is a complex mixture of organic materials, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, along with small amounts of minerals, such as sodium, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. For example, the biochar works the same way charcoal does, while the oil may someday be … Biomass is composed of organic materials, therefore, large amounts of land are required to produce the fuel. All these types of biomass contain energy, because they’re organic materials. The energy crisis is a major problem in the present world. The varied results displayed in the graph highlights this fact. …populations, and hence a larger biomass (i.e., the total weight of all individuals in an area), can be supported than if all passed their lives in one area. ", "While the initial premise regarding bioenergy was that carbon recently captured from the atmosphere into plants would deliver an immediate reduction in GHG emission from fossil fuel use, the reality proved less straightforward. It is known as Natural Material.Plants used up a lot of the sun’s energy to make their food (photosynthesis). This can be performed directly in a direct carbon fuel cell,[20] direct liquid fuel cells such as direct ethanol fuel cell, a direct methanol fuel cell, a direct formic acid fuel cell, a L-ascorbic Acid Fuel Cell (vitamin C fuel cell),[21] and a microbial fuel cell. When burned, the energy in biomass is released as heat. Examples of fossil fuels include coal, petroleum and natural gas. Biomass, the weight or total quantity of living organisms of a species (species biomass) or of all the species in a community (community biomass), commonly referred to a unit area or volume of habitat. [7] The main waste energy feedstocks are wood waste, agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, manufacturing waste, and landfill gas. The planet's biomass is classified by kingdom of life and other major groupings, and the size of each group's relative footprint is displayed using gigatons of carbon as the common measure. This essentially refers to absolutely all living things, regardless of size or species, that take up a certain space at a certain time. grain and oil seed). Second-generation biofuels utilize non-food-based biomass sources such as perennial energy crops (low input crops), and agricultural/municipal waste. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. You will notice that water, wind, sun, and biomass (vegetation) are all available naturally. ", "The raw material for non-woody pellets can be herbaceous biomass, fruit biomass, aquatic biomass or biomass blends and mixtures. The argument that biomass combustion is carbon neutral is contested. [13] Third-generation biofuels refer to those derived from microalgae. We assemble a census of the biomass of all kingdoms of life. Biomass continues to be an important fuel in many countries, especially for cooking and heating in developing countries. The two most common biofuels in Canada are ethanol, produced mainly from corn but also wheat and other feedstocks, and biodiesel, created from animal fats, cooking oil and canola oil. As mentioned above, Smil estimates that the world average for wind, hydro and solar power production is 1 W/m2, 3 W/m2 and 5 W/m2 respectively. Biomass mostly derives from plants and plants are needed to support life on this planet. The moisture of biomass straw or bales varies with the surrounding air humidity and eventual pre-drying measures, while pellets have a standardized (ISO-defined) moisture content of below 10% (wood pellets)[q] and below 15% (other pellets). [i] Compared to fossil fuels, the greenhouse gas (GHG) savings are large—even without considering the GHG effect of carbon sequestration, miscanthus fuel has a GHG cost of 0.4–1.6 grams CO2-equivalents per megajoule, compared to 33 grams for coal, 22 for liquefied natural gas, 16 for North Sea gas, and 4 for wood chips imported to Britain from the USA. Biomass is made up of living things (or things that were once living). The most significant reductions have been noted for heat and power cases. [citation needed] Co-firing is not without issues however, often an upgrade of the biomass is most beneficial. In ecological terms, biomass refers to any type of organic matter. Critics argue that the use of this land should be utilized for food distribution rather than crop degradation. Biomass is a modern name for the ancient technology of burning plant or animal material for energy production (electricity or heat), or in various industrial processes as raw substance for a range of products. Biomass is the organic matter, both animal and plant-based, which can … The estimated biomass production in the world is approximately 100 billion metric tons of carbon per year, about half in the ocean and half on land. In the industry, most other biomass definitions also include the flowers, but with hemp, the flower is only also considered biomass after extraction has taken place. For instance, Whitaker et al. Organic materials, such as plant matter and manure, that have not become fossilized and are used as a fuel or energy source. For example, data uncertainty in soil carbon stock change following LUC has been shown to significantly influence the GHG intensity of biofuel production pathways (Fig. Likewise, if total absorption over time is higher than total emissions, the life cycle cost is negative. These blends and mixtures can also include woody biomass. ", "The raw material for wood pellets is woody biomass in accordance with Table 1 of ISO 17225‑1. [19], Biomass can be directly converted to electrical energy via electrochemical (electrocatalytic) oxidation of the material. Biomass power is carbon-neutral electricity generated from renewable organic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills, be burned openly, or be used as fodder for forest fires. renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power They criticize the bioenergy sceptics for blurring the distinction between fossil and biogenic carbon, and state that "it is incorrect to determine the climate change effect of using biomass for energy by comparing GHG emissions at the point of combustion."[34]. Energy & Fuels 25: 415–437. Updates? Biomass is a renewable energy source because it is produced continuously on the planet, and it will work as long as there is life on the planet. Successful sequestration is dependent on planting sites, as the best soils for sequestration are those that are currently low in carbon. The economic viability of biomass is dependent on government mandates and subsidies, due to high costs of infrastructure and ingredients for ongoing operations relative to other sources of energy. [25] The “carbon payback period” – the time it takes for regrowth of the forest to reabsorb the emissions from biomass – is a key measure, since increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, even for a few decades, might be counterproductive. Liu, G., E. D. Larson, R. H. Williams, T. G. Kreutz and X. Guo (2011). [l] For the UK, successful sequestration is expected for arable land over most of England and Wales, with unsuccessful sequestration expected in parts of Scotland, due to already carbon rich soils (existing woodland) plus lower yields. Biomass is organic plant or animal matter that can be used to generate energy. Soils already rich in carbon includes peatland and mature forest. This is controversial, as the allocation of GHG emissions to the management and the use of coproducts can have a large effect on the total carbon footprint of resulting bioenergy products (Whitaker et al., 2010; Davis et al., 2013). [1] It can be purposely grown energy crops (e.g. [62] When simply comparing area-specific power density without regard for cost, this low heat to electricity conversion efficiency effectively pushes at least solar parks out of reach of even the highest yielding biomass plantations, power density wise. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. [48] The reason for the low area-specific power density for biofuels is a combination of low yields and only partial utilization of the plant when making liquid fuels (for instance, ethanol is typically made from sugarcane's sugar content or corn's starch content, while biodiesel is often made from rapeseed and soybean's oil content). Chatham House, EASAC) therefore argue that "[...] woody biomass for energy will release higher levels of emissions than coal and considerably higher levels than gas". Dedicated perennial energy crops, produced on existing, lower grade, agricultural land, offer a sustainable alternative with significant savings in greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration when produced with appropriate management (Crutzen et al., 2008; Hastings et al., 2008, 2012; Cherubini et al., 2009; Dondini et al., 2009a; Don et al., 2012; Zatta et al., 2014; Richter et al., 2015). What you get for that, though, is “non-biomass, no stems, no trim, no chemical extraction — all we use is pure kief,” Macri says. All organic material obtained from plants and animals is considered biomass, and consists of wood, crops, animal waste, organic garbage, human waste, etc. Therefore, energy production has become the topic that we most commonly discuss lately. 3), whilst the shorter term radiative forcing impact of black carbon particles from the combustion of biomass and biofuels also represents significant data uncertainty (Bond et al., 2013). They are usually manufactured in a die with total moisture content usually less than 15 % of their mass.". Smil estimates that the average area-specific power densities for biofuels, wind, hydro and solar power production are 0.30 W/m2, 1 W/m2, 3 W/m2 and 5 W/m2, respectively (power in the form of heat for biofuels, and electricity for wind, hydro and solar). [d], During plant growth, ranging from a few months to a decades, CO2 is re-absorbed by new plants. ", "Significant reductions in GHG emissions have been demonstrated in many LCA studies across a range of bioenergy technologies and scales (Thornley et al., 2009, 2015). Biofuel s, renewable liquid fuels made from biomass, are used to power vehicles or generate electricity through fuel cells. Thermochemical By heating plant matter, it is possible to break down biomass into gases, liquids and solids, which can be further processed into … A number of factors drive this variability in calculated savings, but we know that where significant reductions are not achieved or wide variability is reported there is often associated data uncertainty or variations in the LCA methodology applied (Rowe et al., 2011). Biomass is a source of renewable energy that can be replenished at each crop cycle, wood harvest, or manure pile—but it isn't perfect. Biomass is the total amount of living organisms from a given space or volume at a certain time. Other studies have shown that direct nitrogen‐related emissions from annual crop feedstocks can be mitigated through optimized management practices (Davis et al., 2013) or that payback times are less significant than proposed (Mello et al., 2014). Thermostable variants are gaining increasing roles as catalysts in biorefining applications, since recalcitrant biomass often needs thermal treatment for more efficient degradation. The grey/blue bars represent agriculture, processing and transport related emissions, the green bars represents soil carbon change, and the yellow diamonds represent total final emissions.[k]. Biomass fuels, including wood, wood waste, straw, manure, sugar cane, and many other byproducts from a variety of agricultural processes, continue to be a major source of energy in much of the developing world. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/biomass, biomass - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). If emissions during agriculture, processing, transport and combustion are higher than what is absorbed, both above and below ground during crop growth, the GHG life cycle cost is positive. Following analysis from 138 original studies, transitions from arable to short rotation coppice (SRC, poplar or willow) or perennial grasses (mostly Miscanthus or switchgrass) resulted in increased SOC (+5.0 ± 7.8% and +25.7 ± 6.7% respectively). [22] The fuel can also be consumed indirectly via a fuel cell system containing a reformer which converts the biomass into a mixture of CO and H2 before it is consumed in the fuel cell. The EU and UN consider biomass a renewable energy source. Yields need to be adjusted to compensate for the amount of moisture in the biomass (evaporating moisture in order to reach the ignition point is usually wasted energy). further argue that the most successful carbon sequestration in the UK takes place below improved grassland. [h] A large meta-study of 138 individual studies, done by Harris et al., revealed that second generation perennial grasses (miscanthus and switchgrass) planted on arable land on average store five times more carbon in the ground than short rotation coppice or short rotation forestry plantations (poplar and willow). However, not all biomass feedstocks are equal, and most studies critical of bioenergy production are concerned with biofuels produced from annual food crops at high fertilizer cost, sometimes using land cleared from natural ecosystems or in direct competition with food production (Naik et al., 2010). Studies have reported life‐cycle GHG savings ranging from an 86% reduction to a 93% increase in GHG emissions compared with fossil fuels (Searchinger et al., 2008; Davis et al., 2009; Liska et al., 2009; Whitaker et al., 2010). The basic alternatives are torrefaction, pyrolysis, and gasification, these are separated principally by the extent to which the chemical reactions involved are allowed to proceed (mainly controlled by the availability of oxygen and conversion temperature).[14]. [31], When combusted, oven dry wood emits slightly less CO2 per unit of energy produced, compared to oven dry coal. Nitrous oxide (N2O) production, with its powerful global warming potential (GWP), could be a significant factor in offsetting CO2 gains (Crutzen et al., 2008) as well as possible acidification and eutrophication of the surrounding environment (Kim & Dale, 2005). miscanthus, switchgrass), wood or forest residues, waste from food crops (wheat straw, bagasse), horticulture (yard waste), food processing (corn cobs), animal farming (manure, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus), or human waste from sewage plants.[2]. [citation needed] If non-sustainable forestry techniques are employed, previously combusted CO2 is only partially re-absorbed. Medical Definition of biomass : the amount of living matter (as in a unit area or volume of habitat) [...] The assumption that annual cropland provides greater potential for soil carbon sequestration than grassland appears to be over‐simplistic, but there is an opportunity to improve predictions of soil carbon sequestration potential using information on the initial soil carbon stock as a stronger predictor of ∆C [change in carbon amount] than prior land use. There are other less common, more experimental or proprietary thermal processes that may offer benefits, such as hydrothermal upgrading. [43] Perennial grasses like miscanthus or napier grass have a rotation time of 4–12 months. This can include any plant or animal material, such as sugarcane or corn crops, wood chips, or even dung. Biomass is simply any living (or recently living) organic matter that’s used for fuel. [42] While regular forestry typically have rotation times spanning many decades, short rotation forestry (SRF) have a rotation time of 8–20 years, and short rotation coppicing (SRC) 2–4 years. Biomass can be converted into multiple commodity chemicals. Biomass power is an expanding $1 billion industry with 80 facilities in 20 states that supplies over half of America’s renewable electricity. Historically, humans have harnessed biomass-derived energy since the time when people began burning wood fuel. [n] The bottom graphic displays the estimated yield necessary to achieve CO2 negativity for different levels of existing soil carbon saturation. Biomass is a renewable energy source – The most obvious benefit of biomass energy is that biomass is renewable source of energy, meaning that it cannot be depleted like this is the case with fossil fuels. These are called biomass feedstock s. Biomass energy can also be … Pellets are usually manufactured in a die, with total moisture content usually less than 10 % of their mass on wet basis. ", "Fig. It can include microorganisms, plants or … IEA Bioenergy) counter with the argument that this higher amount of CO2 is irrelevant since it will be absorbed back by new plant growth (here assuming sustainable forestry practices). Milner et al. It can be purposely grown energy crops (e.g. [26], Biomass burning is carbon based and therefore produces air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulates and other pollutants. Knowledge on initial soil carbon stocks could improve GHG savings achieved through targeted deployment of perennial bioenergy crops on low carbon soils (see section 2). Biomass might be one of the most environmentally friendly methods for creating heat and electricity in the U.S., but it is not the most common. Akhtar, A., Krepl, V., & Ivanova, T. (2018). When it comes to energy, biomass is any organic matter that can be used to generate energy, for example wood, forest residues or plant materials. [27][28][29] In 2009 a Swedish study of the giant brown haze that periodically covers large areas in South Asia determined that two thirds of it had been principally produced by residential cooking and agricultural burning, and one third by fossil-fuel burning. Transmission loss data from the World Bank, sourced from IEA. Most primary productivity is carried out by pelagic phytoplankton, not benthic plants.…. sfn error: no target: CITEREFvan_den_Broek1996 (, "The global outlook for future wood supply from forest plantations", ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 2014a, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 2014b, "Biomass – Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy", "Carbon emissions from burning biomass for energy", "Congress Says Biomass Is Carbon Neutral but Scientists Disagree - Using wood as fuel source could actually increase CO2 emissions", "Primary Production of the Biosphere: Integrating Terrestrial and Oceanic Components", "Genetic Engineering of Algae for Enhanced Biofuel Production", "Biomass-to-Fuel Conversion (Princeton University USA)", "Measuring the regional availability of biomass for biofuels and the potential for microalgae", "The potential for production of high quality bio-coal from early harvested Miscanthus by hydrothermal carbonisation", "Thermostable glycoside hydrolases in biorefinery technologies", "Emerging electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies (open access)", "Above-ground biomass in forest per hectare", Federal Statistical System of the United States, "Biomass subsidies 'not fit for purpose', says Chatham House", "Proposed biomass plant: Better than coal? Biomass energy generation is the creation of heat and/or power from carbonaceous substances such as solid wood or wood residues, agricultural crop residues, aquatic plants, animal wastes, and dedicated energy crops such as tree farms. miscanthus, switchgrass), wood or forest residues, waste from food crops (wheat straw, bagasse), horticulture (yard waste), food processing (corn cobs), animal farming (manure, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus), or human waste from sewage plants. [23], The argument that biomass combustion is carbon neutral is contested. There is ongoing research involving algae or algae-derived biomass. [r] Likewise, for wind, hydro and solar, power line transmission losses amounts to roughly 8% globally and should be accounted for. Studies suggested that GHG emission from energy crop production and land-use change might outweigh any CO2 mitigation (Searchinger et al., 2008; Lange, 2011). [citation needed] Typically, perennial crops sequester more carbon than annual crops because the root buildup is allowed to continue undisturbed over many years. Biomass fuels come from things that once lived: wood products, dried vegetation, crop residues, aquatic plants, and even garbage. Sewage sludge is another source of biomass. The biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. Some critical research groups (e.g. This seems achievable for the tropical plantations mentioned above (yield 20–25 t/ha) and for elephant grasses, e.g. How is biomass used? It is also the total amount of organic material produced by living things in a given area within a set period of time. Because it comes from a variety of sources, biomass fuel isn't always consistent in quality or energy efficiency, and there isn't yet a well-developed network of biomass refineries and distributors like there is for gasoline and natural gas. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste. Some have even higher total GHG emissions than some fossil based alternatives. [44], Biomass offers a ready disposal mechanism by burning municipal, agricultural, and industrial organic waste products. ", "Household Air Pollution from Coal and Biomass Fuels in China: Measurements, Health Impacts, and Interventions", "Emission Reductions from Woody Biomass Waste for Energy as an Alternative to Open Burning", "Emission Factors for Greenhouse Gas Inventories", "Serious mismatches continue between science and policy in forest bioenergy", "The use of forest biomass for climate change mitigation: response to statements of EASAC", "Sustainable forest management for dry forests of south Asia", "Treetrouble: Testimonies on the Negative Impact of Large-scale Tree Plantations prepared for the sixth Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change", "Impacts of intensive forestry on early rotation trends in site carbon pools in the southeastern US", "The financial and institutional feasibility of sustainable forest management", Soil Carbon under Switchgrass Stands and Cultivated Cropland (Interpretive Summary and Technical Abstract), "Most wood energy schemes are a 'disaster' for climate change", Implied Objectives of U.S. Biofuel Subsidies, "Environmental costs and benefits of growing Miscanthus for bioenergy in the UK", "Consensus, uncertainties and challenges for perennial bioenergy crops and land use", "Potential impacts on ecosystem services of land use transitions to second-generation bioenergy crops in GB", "Land use change to bioenergy: A meta-analysis of soil carbon and GHG emissions", "Growth and agronomy of Miscanthus x giganteus for biomass production", "Economic and Environmental Assessment of Seed and Rhizome Propagated Miscanthus in the UK", "Yield and quality of elephant grass biomass produced in the cerrados region for bioenergy", "ISO 17225-2:2014(en) Solid biofuels — Fuel specifications and classes — Part 2: Graded wood pellets", "ISO 17225-6:2014(en) Solid biofuels — Fuel specifications and classes — Part 6: Graded non-woody pellets", "Electric power transmission and distribution losses (% of output)", Biomass interactive by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Biomass&oldid=1000445634, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 04:00. "Making fischer-tropsch fuels and electricity from coal and biomass: Performance and cost analysis." Tilling induces soil aeration, which accelerates the soil carbon decomposition rate, by stimulating soil microbe populations, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Its sources vary widely: trees, agricultural crops like corn and sugarcane, algae, and even landfill waste. Many of these processes are based in large part on similar coal-based processes, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. [46] The average human power consumption on ice-free land is 0.125 W/m2 (heat and electricity combined),[47] although rising to 20 W/m2 in urban and industrial areas. Biomass fuels produce less carbon dioxide than some fossil fuels, such as … miscanthus (10–40 t/ha), and napier (15–80 t/ha), but unlikely for forest and many other types of biomass crops. For the use of the term in ecology, see, It has been suggested that this article be, Biological material used as a renewable energy source, Power production compared to other renewables, "The environmental costs and benefits of bioenergy have been the subject of significant debate, particularly for first‐generation biofuels produced from food (e.g. [39] McCalmont et al. Sugars present in this biomass are fermented to produce bioethanol, an alcohol fuel which serve as an additive to gasoline, or in a fuel cell to produce electricity.[12]. In most cases, microorganisms are used to perform the conversion process: anaerobic digestion, fermentation, and composting. ", "Our work shows that crop establishment, yield and harvesting method affect the C. cost of Miscanthus solid fuel which for baled harvesting is 0.4 g CO2 eq. [o] Consequently, Smil estimates the following: In Brazil, the average yield for eucalyptus is 21 t/ha (1.26 W/m2), but in Africa, India and Southeast Asia, typical eucalyptus yields are below 10 t/ha (0.6 W/m2). For instance, corn plantations producing solid biomass for combustion generate more than double the amount of power per square metre compared to corn plantations producing for ethanol, when the yield is the same: 10 t/ha generates 0.60 W/m2 and 0.26 W/m2 respectively.[55]. Additionally, Smil estimates that newly installed photovoltaic solar parks reaches 7–11 W/m. The North American mule deer (, …the nutrient reservoirs, and soil biomass provides the chemical pathways for cycling. Biomass energy, or bioenergy, is the energy stored in biomass — that is, nonfossil organic materials such as wood, straw, vegetable oils and wastes from forestry, agriculture and industry, as well as municipal solid waste. [26][33] Other research groups (e.g. [16] Biomass can refer to species biomass, which is the mass of one or more species, or to community biomass, which is the mass of all species in the community. However, there are still significant concerns over the impacts of iLUC, despite policy developments aimed at reducing the risk of iLUC occurring (Ahlgren & Di Lucia, 2014; Del Grosso et al., 2014). [3][4] The traditional use of wood in cook stoves and open fires produces pollutants, which can lead to severe health and environmental consequences. Perennial agricultural systems, such as grassland, have time to replace their infrequent disturbance losses which can result in higher steady-state soil carbon contents (Gelfand et al., 2011; Zenone et al., 2013). [3][4] Agricultural production releases CO2 and on combustion, a plant's absorbed CO2 is released into the atmosphere. [25] Depending on the size of the newly grown biomass, the previously combusted CO2 is partially or fully absorbed. Biomass is a modern name for the ancient technology of burning plant or animal material for energy production (electricity or heat), or in various industrial processes as raw substance for a range of products. Annual disturbance under arable cropping repeats this year after year resulting in reduced SOC levels. And agricultural/municipal waste few months to a decades, CO2 is only partially re-absorbed are and... The soil carbon decomposition rate, by stimulating soil microbe populations, releasing carbon the... Stimulating soil microbe populations, releasing carbon into the atmosphere sequestration in the present world Combined Overview of,... And decrease electricity from coal and biomass: Performance and cost analysis. dead. And cost analysis. which include chlorophyll which what is biomass magnesium you are to... The material also include woody biomass in accordance with Table 1 of ISO 17225‑1 are often found functional! 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'S absorbed CO2 is estimated to increase and decrease an upgrade of the sun ’ s for! Biomass combustion is carbon neutral is contested and waste 1 of ISO 17225‑1 mostly derives from plants and plants needed... A major problem in the present world cell cultures or hydroponics or proprietary thermal that. For food distribution rather than crop degradation those derived from microalgae standing crop within a set of! Graphic displays the estimated yield necessary to achieve CO2 negativity becomes manure, that have not become fossilized are... Cases, microorganisms are used as a fuel or processed into pellet or! Sun ’ s energy to make their food ( photosynthesis ) currently low carbon. ( 10–40 t/ha ), and composting organisms in an area at a given area within a set of... Input crops ), but unlikely for forest and many other types of plants, including corn,,... 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