Biomass

What is biomass?

Biomass refers to organic materials that are used to generate electricity or heat. These materials come from agricultural and forestry activities, livestock waste, and by-products of the agro-food industry. Biomass is classified as a renewable and alternative energy source, with a lower environmental impact compared to fossil fuels.

Types of biomass

Biomass encompasses a wide range of biological materials. The most commonly recognized types of biomass are:

• wood, branches, and firewood
• residues from agricultural or forestry activities
• by-products from the agro-food or wood industries
• livestock waste and manure
• organic waste
• plants and vegetation

Example. In Finland, waste from paper and wood processing is collected by industries and sawmills to be reused as fuel in thermal power plants to generate electricity. This reduces the volume of waste that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfills.

Biomass materials can be used in a variety of ways, but here the term refers specifically to organic raw materials that can be turned into biofuel. This biofuel is used to produce heat for heating systems ( district heating ) and to generate electricity.

The difference between biomass and waste

It’s important to distinguish biomass from waste incineration. Biomass consists of eco-friendly organic waste, primarily of plant origin, that is carefully selected and collected from specific agricultural or industrial activities (e.g., wood processing, tree pruning, etc.). It is then treated to be used as biofuel in power plants.

Municipal solid waste, on the other hand, includes all types of organic waste from various human activities. The environmental impact of burning this waste differs from that of biomass. After sorting and treatment, the heat generated from incinerating or valorizing waste is primarily used for heating and power generation.

Although both processes produce energy, the technology used to generate energy from biomass is different from waste-to-energy processes.

Advantages and disadvantages of biomass

According to ecoage, the key advantages of biomass are:

• Renewable energy. Biomass is derived from natural products, making it a renewable resource. As long as it is used at a sustainable rate—where use doesn’t exceed its rate of replenishment—biomass stocks won't run out.
• Waste recycling. Several industries, such as agriculture, forestry, agro-food production, and wood processing, generate organic waste. This waste would typically be destined for landfills or incinerators, but it can be transformed into a valuable resource for the agro-energy sector.

  By properly sorting and processing this waste, it can be used to produce thermal and electrical energy. This offers two benefits: it generates useful energy and reduces the volume of waste that needs to be managed.

• Diversification, energy independence, and savings. Producing electricity and heat from biomass decreases reliance on traditional energy sources such as coal, oil, and gas, which are often concentrated in a few countries and need to be imported. Biomass, on the other hand, can be produced domestically. This makes biomass an important tool for improving energy independence, security of supply, and diversification.
• Lower environmental impact. Biomass comes from organic materials with lower carbon content than fossil fuels. Its combustion releases less CO₂ than burning fossil fuels, and because the carbon was recently absorbed by plants, the combustion process doesn’t significantly add to greenhouse gases. Biomass burning also produces fewer sulfur and nitrogen emissions than fossil fuels, making it a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable energy source.
• Reforestation. Biomass fuels a demand in the agro-energy sector, adding economic value and increasing profitability for producers. This encourages the recovery of abandoned lands and the reforestation of semi-arid areas. Reforestation offers additional environmental benefits by absorbing CO₂ and improving air quality, which helps mitigate the effects of deforestation.

The disadvantages of using biomass as an energy source include:

• Rising agricultural product prices. Both agriculture and agro-energy compete for the same resources, such as land and water. Since energy prices are often much higher than agricultural product prices, there’s a risk that farmers might shift from food production to bioenergy crops.

  In a world facing rapid population growth, this shift could reduce the availability of food and drinking water.

  Increased demand for land also raises land value, which can push up food prices. This issue is particularly prevalent with first-generation biofuels. To avoid this problem, biofuels should primarily come from waste and by-products, rather than crops grown specifically for energy production.
• Reforestation vs. deforestation. While reforestation increases the number of trees, it doesn’t fully offset the effects of deforestation, which leads to the irreversible loss of biodiversity. It’s important to continue protecting natural forests.
• Transporting biomass. The environmental impact of biomass also depends on how far it has to be transported from the collection site to the power plant. To minimize transport-related pollution, biomass should ideally be used locally. This, however, requires smaller, local power plants, which may be less efficient and have higher costs compared to large-scale energy production from traditional sources.