[3][4] Agricultural production releases CO2 and on combustion, a plant's absorbed CO2 is released into the atmosphere. 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. Historically, humans have harnessed biomass-derived energy since the time when people began burning wood fuel. To calculate land use requirements for different kinds of power production, it is essential to know the relevant area-specific power densities. These are called biomass feedstock s. Biomass energy can also be … [58] When calculating power production per square metre, every t/ha of dry biomass yield increases a plantation's power production by 0.06 W/m2. It can be purposely grown energy crops (e.g. Like the energy in fossil fuels (e.g., coal), bioenergy is derived from solar energy stored in plants through the process of photosynthesis. 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. A Combined Overview of Combustion, Pyrolysis, and Gasification of Biomass. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste. ", "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. [32] However, since raw biomass can have a relatively high moisture content compared to coal, the amount of CO2 emitted per unit of energy can be higher, due to the fact that some of the inherent energy must be spent solely on evaporating the moisture. In addition, concerns have been raised that N2O emissions from biofuel feedstock cultivation could have been underestimated (Crutzen et al., 2008; Smith & Searchinger, 2012) and that expansion of feedstock cultivation on agricultural land might displace food production onto land with high carbon stocks or high conservation value (i.e. 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. Reducing uncertainties in ∆C [carbon increase or decrease] following LUC [land use change] is therefore more important than refining N2O [nitrous oxide] emission estimates (Berhongaray et al., 2017). Nationwide, the biomass industry accounts for over 15,500 jobs, many of which are in small rural communities. [t], This article is about biomass as a renewable energy source. Tilling induces soil aeration, which accelerates the soil carbon decomposition rate, by stimulating soil microbe populations, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Grasslands are highly variable and uncertain in their response to LUC to bioenergy and given their widespread occurrence across the temperate landscape, they remain a cause for concern and one of the main areas where future research efforts should be focussed. Therefore, energy production has become the topic that we most commonly discuss lately. [citation needed], Thermal conversion processes use heat as the dominant mechanism to upgrade biomass into a better and more practical fuel. Soils already rich in carbon includes peatland and mature forest. Biomass is the total amount of living organisms from a given space or volume at a certain time. 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). 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). [30] The use of wood biomass as an industrial fuel has been shown to produce fewer particulates and other pollutants than the burning seen in wildfires or open field fires. Many first generation biomass projects have a positive GHG life cycle cost, especially if emissions caused by direct or indirect land use change are included in the GHG cost calculation. Biomass is simply any living (or recently living) organic matter that’s used for fuel. The three major categories of methods for generating electricity include fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewable sources. The principal difference is that fossil fuels require thousands of years to be converted into usable forms, while properly managed biomass energy can be … Biomass Biomass includes • Wood • Charcoal, which contain more energy per unit weight than wood, and produces less smoke when burned • Manure: solid biomass used to heat homes throughout the world where wood is scarce Ethanol and biodiesel (liquid biofuels) are used All organic material obtained from plants and animals is considered biomass, and consists of wood, crops, animal waste, organic garbage, human waste, etc. ", "The raw material for non-woody pellets can be herbaceous biomass, fruit biomass, aquatic biomass or biomass blends and mixtures. The varied results displayed in the graph highlights this fact. Biomass, the weight or total quantity of living organisms of one animal or plant species (species biomass) or of all the species in a community (community biomass), commonly referred to a unit area or volume of habitat. Pellets are usually manufactured in a die, with total moisture content usually less than 10 % of their mass on wet basis. 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. Energy & Fuels, 32(7), 7294–7318. Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [s] If biomass is to be utilized for electricity production rather than heat production, note that yields has to be roughly tripled in order to compete with wind, hydro and solar, as the current heat to electricity conversion efficiency is only 30–40%. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/biomass, biomass - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Biomass is composed of organic materials, therefore, large amounts of land are required to produce the fuel. grain and oil seed). The North American mule deer (, …the nutrient reservoirs, and soil biomass provides the chemical pathways for cycling. The biomass energy source goes through chemical changes and turns into syngas, an oil called pyrolysis oil, and biochar, the solids left behind. Akhtar, A., Krepl, V., & Ivanova, T. (2018). The main components of plant biomass are carbohydrates (approximately 75%, dry weight) and lignin (approximately 25%), which can vary with plant type. [15] Some have been developed for use on high moisture content biomass, including aqueous slurries, and allow them to be converted into more convenient forms. Medical Definition of biomass : the amount of living matter (as in a unit area or volume of habitat) The total annual SOC change across GB in the transition from arable to Miscanthus if all nonconstrained land was planted with would be 3.3 Tg C yr, "In summary, we have quantified the impacts of LUC [land use change] to bioenergy cropping on SOC and GHG balance. argue that a miscanthus crop with a yield of 10 tonnes per hectare per year sequesters so much carbon that the crop more than compensates for both farm operations emissions and transport emissions. [13] Third-generation biofuels refer to those derived from microalgae. 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. This essentially refers to absolutely all living things, regardless of size or species, that take up a certain space at a certain time. In a different though related sense, the term biomass refers to plant materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel. notes that since the carbon content of grasslands vary considerably, so does the success rate of land use changes from grasslands to perennial. 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). It can include microorganisms, plants or … The composition of the biosphere is a fundamental question in biology, yet a global quantitative account of the biomass of each taxon is still lacking. 3 confirmed either no change or a gain of SOC [soil organic carbon] (positive) through planting Miscanthus on arable land across England and Wales and only a loss of SOC (negative) in parts of Scotland. [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). All these types of biomass contain energy, because they’re organic materials. In most cases, microorganisms are used to perform the conversion process: anaerobic digestion, fermentation, and composting. [44], Biomass offers a ready disposal mechanism by burning municipal, agricultural, and industrial organic waste products. 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. 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. [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. 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). Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. It is also the total amount of organic material produced by living things in a given area within a set period of time. Biomass (B) is a measurement of how much living tissue mass for a population is present at one instant in time (or averaged over several periods of time), and its units are mass (or energy) per unit area (e.g., g/m2) (Benke 1993). 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? 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]. All three of these can then get turned into energy. …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. [25] Depending on the size of the newly grown biomass, the previously combusted CO2 is partially or fully absorbed. iLUC) creating a carbon debt which could take decades to repay (Fargione et al., 2008). Thermostable variants are gaining increasing roles as catalysts in biorefining applications, since recalcitrant biomass often needs thermal treatment for more efficient degradation. When burned, the energy in biomass is released as heat. However, some other studies (particularly on transport fuels) have indicated the opposite, that is that bioenergy systems can increase GHG emissions (Smith & Searchinger, 2012) or fail to achieve increasingly stringent GHG savings thresholds. There is ongoing research involving algae or algae-derived biomass. Biomass power plants use a boiler to produce high-pressure steam, which, in turn drives a turbine to generate electricity. [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. renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create electricity or other forms of power Most primary productivity is carried out by pelagic phytoplankton, not benthic plants.…. ", "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. Renewable energy resources are always available to be harnessed. They are usually manufactured in a die with total moisture content usually less than 15 % of their mass.". Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Biomass also refers to the organic material on Earth that has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. Proponents argue that there is huge potential for second generation biofuels, but the resources are currently under-utilized. Chatham House, EASAC) therefore argue that "[...] woody biomass for energy will release higher levels of emissions than coal and considerably higher levels than gas". [31], When combusted, oven dry wood emits slightly less CO2 per unit of energy produced, compared to oven dry coal. Humans did not create or manufacture them. ", "The raw material for wood pellets is woody biomass in accordance with Table 1 of ISO 17225‑1. ", "Any soil disturbance, such as ploughing and cultivation, is likely to result in short-term respiration losses of soil organic carbon, decomposed by stimulated soil microbe populations (Cheng, 2009; Kuzyakov, 2010). Second-generation biofuels utilize non-food-based biomass sources such as perennial energy crops (low input crops), and agricultural/municipal waste. 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. [citation needed] If non-sustainable forestry techniques are employed, previously combusted CO2 is only partially re-absorbed. [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. Forest-based biomass projects can have long rotation times, and have received some criticism for that. "Making fischer-tropsch fuels and electricity from coal and biomass: Performance and cost analysis." In ecological terms, biomass refers to any type of organic matter. [j], Since emissions originating from combustion can be absorbed by next season's plant growth, a carbon negative life cycle is possible if the below-ground carbon accumulation more than compensates for the non-combustion-related emissions (mainly emissions originating from agriculture, processing and transport). [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). [3][4] The traditional use of wood in cook stoves and open fires produces pollutants, which can lead to severe health and environmental consequences. 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. [5] Even in 2019, biomass is the only source of fuel for domestic use in many developing countries. Its sources vary widely: trees, agricultural crops like corn and sugarcane, algae, and even landfill waste. [43] Perennial grasses like miscanthus or napier grass have a rotation time of 4–12 months. 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). [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. The others do not exist by themselves — they were extracted in some way from nature by humans. 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. Biomass can be converted into multiple commodity chemicals. There are numerous types of plants, including corn, switchgrass, miscanthus, hemp, sorghum, sugarcane, and bamboo. 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. To match the world average for biofuels (0.3 W/m2), plantations need to produce 5 tonnes of dry mass per hectare per year. Energy & Fuels 25: 415–437. [d], During plant growth, ranging from a few months to a decades, CO2 is re-absorbed by new plants. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The key difference between biomass and biofuel is that the biomass is anything that is alive and anything that was alive a short time ago whereas the biofuel is the energy extracted from biomass.. further argue that the most successful carbon sequestration in the UK takes place below improved grassland. 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. 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]. All biomass is biologically-produced matter based in carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. 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]. These blends and mixtures can also include woody biomass. Oven dry biomass in general, including wood, miscanthus[56] and napier[57] grass, have a calorific content of roughly 18 GJ/t. [n] The bottom graphic displays the estimated yield necessary to achieve CO2 negativity for different levels of existing soil carbon saturation. Biomass mostly derives from plants and plants are needed to support life on this planet. [m] However, Harris et al. [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. [7] The main waste energy feedstocks are wood waste, agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, manufacturing waste, and landfill gas. Sewage sludge is another source of biomass. compared a number of individual European reports on Miscanthus x giganteus carbon sequestration, and found accumulation rates ranging from 0.42 to 3.8 tonnes per hectare per year,[f] with a mean accumulation rate of 1.84 tonne (0.74 tonnes per acre per year),[g] or 25% of total harvested carbon per year. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 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). Some have even higher total GHG emissions than some fossil based alternatives. [citation needed] Upgrading to higher grade fuels can be achieved by different methods, broadly classified as thermal, chemical, or biochemical. Also, perennial crops avoid the yearly tillage procedures (plowing, digging) associated with growing annual crops. 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. ", "[...] it seems likely that arable land converted to Miscanthus will sequester soil carbon; of the 14 comparisons, 11 showed overall increases in SOC over their total sample depths with suggested accumulation rates ranging from 0.42 to 3.8 Mg C ha, "The correlation between plantation age and SOC can be seen in Fig. As part of the Food vs. fuel debate, several economists from Iowa State University found in 2008 "there is no evidence to disprove that the primary objective of biofuel policy is to support farm income."[45]. How is biomass used? What you get for that, though, is “non-biomass, no stems, no trim, no chemical extraction — all we use is pure kief,” Macri says. The higher the yield, the more likely CO2 negativity becomes. Likewise, if total absorption over time is higher than total emissions, the life cycle cost is negative. Biomass also includes plant or animal matter that can be converted into fuel, fibers or industrial chemicals. [citation needed] Co-firing is not without issues however, often an upgrade of the biomass is most beneficial. The weight or quantity of organisms in an area at a given moment is the standing crop. 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. 7–11 W/m the energy in biomass is the total amount of living biological organisms in an area at a time... Most primary productivity is carried out by pelagic phytoplankton, not benthic plants.… absorbed CO2 is re-absorbed by new.... 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