Unless you work in the energy sector or have always been interested in alternative fuels it is entirely understandable that you might not have heard of the term “biomass”. Until about five years ago the idea was seldom considered.
But, things have changed since then. Society was not as aware then as it is now that the earth’s stored fuel resources will one day run out, nor had they seen quite how fast the cost of traditional fuels would rise.
These are the reasons for the new interest in alternative renewable energy sources many of which are extremely under developed at present (for example Anaerobic Digestion).
Renewable energy sources, other than small current contributions from tidal energy and nuclear energy, must ultimately use the stored energy of the sun through photosynthesis. That always has been the case, since the higher orders of life evolved on earth, and it possibly always will be the case.
Man is searching for alternatives to using stored energy from fossil fuels. and in so doing has come up with the concept of “biomass”.
To those interested in using and manufacturing biofuels the term BIOMASS means:-
living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. Most commonly, biomass refers to plant matter grown for use as biofuel, but it also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibres, chemicals or heat. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. It excludes organic material which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum. (Wikipedia 2008)
If you would like to know more about biomass click on the middle image on the video screen and watch!
