In today’s world of rising oil prices, the escalating effects of climate change and the erosion of energy security, there is an urgent imperative to implement solutions. Bioenergy represents a real and practical way forward in helping to solve the evident energy, environmental and security challenges that we face today.
The ascendance of bioenergy is attracting ever greater attention from politicians, multi-lateral institutions, agriculture, business, forestry, finance and of course, populations the world over.
“Bioenergy is experiencing a surge of interest stemming from a combination of factors. These include a greater recognition of the current role for biomass and its future potential contribution as a modern fuel ; it’s availability, versatility and sustainability ; its local and global environmental benefits and development of entrepreneurial opportunities. Bioenergy is viewed today as the future energy source for development and industry.” Bioenergy options for a Cleaner Environment, Ralph EH Sims, 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
The introduction to bioenergy given here is intended as a brief overview only. The links provided indicate some useful options for further research but do not represent an exhaustive list of the world of bioenergy.
Click on the links below to learn more :
Source : Monika Wisniewska, Dreamstime
Bioenergy originates from the land - from agriculture (crops and livestock), forestry and waste management. It is energy harnessed from the stored solar energy in plant life, originally captured through the photosynthetic process. Bioenergy is typically classified into three sectors :
Forestry, paper production, wood processing and agricultural residues provide solid fuels for heat and power.
Energy crops generate liquid fuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol for transport.
Methane is captured as a gaseous fuel from the anaerobic digestion of agri-wastes producing combined heat and power (and also refrigeration), or transportation, or cooking.
Click here for more about the bioenergy sectors :
Bioenergy offers considerably more than energy supply alone.
Carbon Neutral Energy
ACritically, bioenergy can make a significant contribution towards alleviating the threat of climate change to our life-systems. Bioenergy if produced sustainably, offers the opportunity for carbon neutral energy production where the level of carbon dioxide emissions in the production of energy balances with absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the re-growth of the replacement biomass feedstock.
“... thus the main way to decrease the current carbon dioxide emissions is the substitution of fossil fuels with biomass and other renewables.”
IEA website
Source : Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA
Local development
The supply chain of bioenergy, from the original fuel source to the point of energy output, is in itself a powerful engine of economic activity. Land management, cropping and harvesting technologies, fuel conversion, storage and transport, combustion and energy generating technologies combine to create a cluster of opportunities for local development and a vital stimulant of economic activity for rural and local communities.
"Bioenergy means a number of biomass resources ranging from wood to energy plantations and from biogas to biohydrogen, but, more importantly, it also means rural development, new jobs for rural populations and new opportunities to diversify agriculture and forestry"
Gustavo Best, Senior Energy Coodinator, FAO
Energy Security
Bioenergy offers the opportunity of increased energy security through indigenous feedstock to final energy production whilst simultaneously reducing the need for fossil fuels.
Biomass comprises all the plant life on the surface of the earth. Estimates put this at around 220 billion oven dry tonnes, equivalent to 4,500EJ (4,500x1018J) of energy. Each year, photosynthesis regenerates about two thirds of this, providing annual vegetation growth with an energy equivalent of about 3,000EJ. (source WEC Survey of Energy Resources, 2001).
At the beginning of the twenty-first century roughly 2%, 55EJ, is used to provide energy. However it would probably be possible to utilise about 270EJ, nearly 10% of the amount regenerated each year.
Estimates as to the total contribution that bioenergy can make to total primary energy consumption vary, but by 2050 it could be between 30-50%.
“With the pieces falling into place, this is an exciting time for the biomass power (bioenergy) industry.”
Reuters Business Insight Report, 2004
Technical potential and use of biomass as a percentage of primary energy consumption (PEC) from fossil fuels + hydropower (Based on data from Kaltschmitt 2001). Source : New and emerging bioenergy technologies, RISØ National Laboratory, Denmark.
