Estimation of the future technical potential of biomass as an energy source is dependent on assumptions with respect to land availability and productivity as well as conversion technologies. With the emergence of energy crops as the major source of biomass fuel, land use conflicts, especially in relation to food production, may arise. However, with efficient agricultural practices, plantations and crops could supply a large proportion of energy needs, with residues playing a smaller role without compromising food production or further intensifying agricultural practices. (more…)

Another large source of renewable carbon supplies is waste biomass. It consists of a wide range of materials and includes municipal solid wastes (MSW), municipal biosolids (sewage), industrial wastes, animal manures, agricultural crop and forestry residues, landscaping and tree clippings and trash, and dead biomass that results from nature’s life cycles. Several of these wastes can cause serious health or environmental problems if they are not disposed of properly. Some wastes such as MSW can be considered to be a source of recyclables such as metals and glass in addition to energy. Thus, waste biomass is a potential energy resource in the same manner as virgin biomass. (more…)

Another large source of renewable carbon supplies is waste biomass. It consists of a wide range of materials and includes municipal solid wastes (MSW), municipal biosolids (sewage), industrial wastes, animal manures, agricultural crop and forestry residues, landscaping and tree clippings and trash, and dead biomass that results from nature’s life cycles. Several of these wastes can cause serious health or environmental problems if they are not disposed of properly. Some wastes such as MSW can be considered to be a source of recyclables such as metals and glass in addition to energy. (more…)

The most widespread and practical process for capture solar radiation as organic fuels is the growth of virgin biomass. Extremely large quantities of carbon are fixed each year in the form of terrestrial and aquatic biomass. (more…)

Over the last decade, the number of countries researching the potential of biomass and bioenergy for energy services rose rapidly. This contributed to the biomass as solid and liquid fuels, an interesting and promising option among renewable energy sources available. This includes solid waste and biomass, which comprises of charcoal, firewood, energy crops and forestry and agricultural residues to produce heat and electricity, (more…)

Advances in biomass feedstock production are extremely important. These advances have the potential for reducing the final cost of biofuels, power, and products. In addition, advances will allow the production of plants, trees, and residues with characteristics increasingly well suited for feedstocks. For example, genetically engineered plants feedstocks may allow higher yields of usable biomass per acre for fuel and other uses. New methods in erosion control, fertilization, and pre-processing can result in (more…)

Biomass has been a major source of energy in the world since the beginning of civilization. It has been important in development processes, including early stages of industrialization in several countries. In Sweden, for example, the first concerns about preservation date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, resulting from the recognition of the central role played by forests in energy provision. Biomass was also essential in the initial development of the iron industry in Sweden and, later on, the same happened in Brazil, where charcoal is still largely utilized in iron reduction. Biomass remains a major source of energy in many countries. (more…)

Brazil produced about 18.5 million metric tones (20.4 tons) of processed sugar in the 2001/2002 harvest, with approximately 9.45 million metric tones (10.4 tons) used domestically and the rest exported. Brazilian sugar is mostly derived from sugarcane, a drought-tolerant tropical and subtropical crop containing about 12 to 17% sugars (90% sucrose, 10% glucose) and 68 to 72% moisture. Brazil grew about 272 million metric tones (300 million tons) of sugarcane in the 2001/2002 season, making it second to India in world cane production that year. In 1975, Brazil adopted a Pro-Alcool Program to convert sugar to ethanol to reduce dependence on petroleum imports that were damaging the economy. (more…)