Biomass Energy
Biomass is plant and animal material that can be used for energy. This includes using wood from trees, waste from other plants (for example, bagasse from sugar cane) and manure from livestock. Biomass can be used to generate electricity, light, heat, motion and fuel. Converting biomass energy into useable energy has many environmental benefits. It uses waste materials that are usually dumped, and uses up methane (a greenhouse gas). Fuels such as ethanol can be made from biomass and used as an alternative to petrol to power motor cars.
All plant and animal matter is called biomass. It is the mass of biological matter on earth. We can get (biomass) energy:
- Directly from plants, for example burning wood for cooking and heating. Indirectly from plants, for example turning it into a liquid (alcohol such as ethanol) or gas (biogas) fuel.
- Indirectly from animal waste, for example biogas (mainly methane gas) from sewage and manure.
An increasing number of renewable energy projects using biomass has been developed. Most of these use waste products from agriculture, so they solve a waste disposal problem and, at the same time, create energy for use in homes, farms and factories.
Biogas can also be produced from livestock manure and human sewage. Farms where animals graze and sewage plants are ideal places to produce energy from biogas. Waste peelings from food processing plants can also be used to produce biogas.
For further information on Bio-Technology and projects with in Australia just follow the link.
