Biomass and Biomass Energy Resources

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Biomass and Biomass Energy Resources

Biomass and Biomass Energy Resources

Biomass is an organic matter produced by plants, both grown on land (terristial biomass) and grown on water (aquatic biomass) and their derivatives and animal manure. The energy obtained from biomass is called the biomass energy.
Biomass can be considered a form of solar energy as it is used indirectly to grow these plants by photosynthesis. It is renewable source of energy because the organic matter is generated round the year.
Note that the fossil fuels like coal, petroleum products and natural gas are not considered as biomass since they are produced from dead, buried biomass under pressure and temperature during several millions of year.
Biomass resources can be classified in the following three groups :
  1. Biomass obtained from cultivated fields, crops, forests, algae and organism living both on land and water.
  2. Biomass derived from wastes e.g. Municipal waste, animal and human excreta, forest waste; sewage etc.
  3. Biomass converted into liquid fuels like methanol, ethanol etc. which can be used in engines or by biomass gasification e.g. methane gas obtained from dung and agricultural wastes.
Photosynthesis Process : Biomass is produced in the photosynthesis process which converts the solar energy into biomass energy. Photosynthesis process only occurs in green plants. It is the process of combining the CO2 from the atmosphere with water plus light energy to produce carbohydrates (sugars, starches, celluloses etc.) and oxygen. The photosynthesis is a complex process, but the overall photosynthesis process can be repred by the following equation :

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy → photosynthesis
C6 H12 O6 + 6 O2

Availability of Biomass :

Biomass includes wood waste and biogases (sugar cane refuse) which has substantial potential to generate electrical power. These are bulky and highly dispersed and contain large amounts of water (50% to 90%). Thus it is not economical to transport over long distances. It is convenient to use this energy source at the place close to the source. However, it can be converted into liquid or gaseous fuels which can be easily transported and used away from their source of produce.

Land crop includes the following :

  1. Sugar crops such as sugar cane and sweet sorghum.
  2. Plants with soft stem which die down after flowering like herbs grass etc called herbaceous plants. These plants can be used for conversion into liquid and gaseous fuels. It is estimated that land crop is about 2 x 1012 tonnes having energy potential of 3 x 1013 kJ of energy.
  3. Forestry plants called sericulture plants.

Aquatic crops include the plants grown on fresh sea and mud water etc. e.g. algae, sea weeds etc.

In India, we have a great potential for use of biomass as an alternate source of energy. Biomass energy can be used for rural , urban and industrial applications and for power generation.

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