Biomass can be burned directly for heat or processed into renewable liquid and gaseous fuels using various techniques
FREMONT CA: Biomass is organic material that is renewable and comes from plants and animals. Until the mid-nineteenth century, biomass was the primary source of total yearly energy consumption in the United States. Biomass is a popular fuel in many countries, particularly in underdeveloped countries, for cooking and warmth. Many developed countries are boosting their use of biomass fuels for transportation and electricity generation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption. Biomass provided roughly five quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2020, accounting for around five percent of total primary energy consumption in the US.
Biomass is made up of chemical energy that has been stored in the sun, and photosynthesis is the process by which plants make biomass. Biomass can be burned directly for heat or processed into renewable liquid and gaseous fuels using various techniques.
Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.
Biomass energy sources include:
• Firewood, wood pellets, wood chips, lumber and furniture mill sawdust, trash, and pulp and paper mill black liquor are examples of wood and wood processing wastes.
• Crop and food processing residues and agricultural products and waste materials such as corn, soybeans, switchgrass, woody plants, sugar cane, and algae.
• Paper, cotton, wool products, and food, yard, and wood wastes are all biogenic items found in municipal solid waste.
• Human sewage and animal manure.
What Percentage of Biomass is Used for Energy?
Biomass provided roughly 4,532 TBtu in 2020, or about 4.5 quadrillions Btu, or about 4.9 percent of total primary energy consumption in the United States. Approximately 2,101 TBtu came from wood and wood-derived biomass, 2,000 TBtu came from biofuels (mostly ethanol), and 430 TBtu came from municipal waste biomass.The following are the volumes (in TBtu) and percentage shares of total biomass energy usage in the United States by consuming sector in 2020:
Industrial:2,246 TBtu ̶ 50 percent
Transportation:1,263 TBtu ̶ 28 percent
Residential:458 TBtu̶ 10 percent
Electric Power: 424 TBtu̶9 percent
Commercial:141 TBtu̶3 percent
See Also:
Top Food Ordering and Delivery Tech Companies Europe ( All Eat One , Delivery Hero , Just Eat Takeaway.com , Menu Technologies )