Biomass Gasification for Electricity Generation and Production of

Synthesis Gas

Introduction

Biomass gasification has yet to consolidate its position compared to other technologies for
exploiting biomass energy. Neither the research conducted nor the plants built in recent
decades nor even government support for this technology, have provided a sufficient boost to
increase the level of implementation of gasification despite its advantages in aspects such as
greater efficiency and the reduction in CO2 emissions, as there are numerous other methods of
biomass energy conversion that provide stiff competition.

Biomass gasification, with its capability to work in kW scales and its ability to utilize a wide
and diverse range of biomass feedstock is ideally suited for the power needs of many segments,
especially those in rural areas without access to power but with easy access to significant
amount of cheap biomass.

Synthesis gas is one of the important intermediate to produce fuels for transportation and
chemicals. Currently, synthesis gas is produced mainly from natural gas is produced mainly
from natural gas, coal or by-products from refineries. The usage of synthesis gas is about 50%
to ammonia, 25% to hydrogen, and the rest is methanol, Fischer-Tropsch products and others.

Owing to the global warming problem, caused by fossil CO2 emissions, and also due to issues
related to security of energy supply, much R&D on the production of synthesis gas from
biomass was carried out in past decade. The main investigated applications of the synthesis gas
was to produce transportation fuels over FT synthesis, methanol synthesis or others, like mixed
alcohol synthesis.

Synthesis gas from biomass can be produced and utilized in different ways. Conversion of
biomass to synthesis gas can be done either in fluidized bed or entrained flow reactions. As
gasification agent oxygen, steam, or mixtures are used. The most common use of biomass
gasification in the last decades has been for heat and power production.

Energy is essential for human development. Without an adequate basic energy supply, people
cannot cook their food, light their homes, or keep essential medication chilled. Alongside the
introduction of efficient and clean thermal use of traditional biomass for cooking, the provision
of electricity from renewable energy sources can provide basic energy services for lightning
and communication and promote local economic growth.

Renewable energy from photovoltaic and small hydro plants is highly suitable for off-grid
electricity supply and has been successfully introduced in countless cases in developing
countries. However, although the application of biomass as a sustainable electricity source
seems promising, it is still seldom perceived as an option for providing electricity for the rural
poor.

Nowadays, the importance of transportation fuels from renewables is increased due to

environmental aspects and growing fossil fuels. That is why the production of FT liquids,
methanol, mixed alcohols, SNG, and hydrogen from biomass is now in focus of view. The most
innovative and interesting ways of synthesis gas utilization and projects are discussed. Further
the micro channel technology by Oxford Catalyst and distributed productions of SNG in
decentral small scale are present. The synthesis platform in Austria is also presented. The FT
liquids hydrogen productions mixed alcohols. These are the projects associated with the
gasification plant. Also the principle and examples of sorption enhanced to reforming to adjust
H2/CO ratio in product gas during the gasification is described. Finally in the conclusion also
an outlook for the thermochemical pathway to transportation fuels.

The three primary routes for biomass to power are: Combustion, Gasification and Anaerobic
Digestion.

Combustion is easy to understand instead of using coal or other fossil fuels use by biomass to
produce steam that runs a turbine. Combustion of biomass for power could either be in the form
of co-firing [when it is burned along with coal] or pure play biomass based combustion.

In the case of Gasification, the biomass is first gasified and this gas turn produces power in a
gas engine.

Anaerobic digestion is usually applied to biomass that typically have a high amount of water
in them [anaerobic digestion is most used for treating organic waste such as kitchen waste and
sewage waste into energy] under this route, microorganisms act upon the organic matter present
in the biomass under anaerobic [absence of air] and convert it into biomass.
An emerging route for biomass based power is pyrolysis. In this, the results in a bio – oil called
the pyrolysis oil, which can in turn be used for firing the boilers. Typically, 50 – 75% [by
weight] of the feedstock is converted into pyrolysis oil.

In order to generate electricity, biomass can be combusted, gasified, biologically digested or

fermented, or converted to liquid fuels propelling a generator. Several research institutions and
international agencies, such as the ESMAP, programme administered by the World Bank, rate
biomass as one of the cheapest available renewable energy sources for power generation.
Furthermore, conversion from biomass to electricity can be a low carbon process as the
resulting CO2 is captured by plant regrowth. In contrast with solar PV or wind power, biomass
power technology can generate electricity on demand at any time, as long as a sufficient supply
of biomass stocks is assured. Many agricultural and forest product residues can provide
feedstock for energy conversion without increasing land requirements. In addition, local
farmers can generate additional income by providing biomass fuels for small local power
plants.

However, despite the apparent benefits, there has been little experience of implementing small
electricity generating biomass plants in off grid areas of developing countries. In approaching
this issue, the GIZ programme “Poverty-oriented Basic Energy Service” assessed the lessons
learned from GIZ and non-GIZ pilot activities and thus identified the most important potentials
of and obstacles to different biomass power technologies.

Biomass gasification is the conversion of solid fuels, such as wood and agricultural residues,
into a combustible gas mixture. An electric generator set with a combustion motor uses this gas
as a fuel to produce electricity. The gasifier is a chemical reactor that uses wood chips, rice
husks, coal or similar carbonaceous materials as fuel and burns them in a process of incomplete
combustion due to a limited air supply.

Biomass gasification has yet to consolidate its position compared to other techniques for
exploiting biomass energy.

Neither the research conducted nor the plants built in recent decades, nor even government
support for this technology, have provided a sufficient boost to increase the level of
implementation of gasification despite its advantages in aspects such as greater efficiency and
the reduction in CO2 emissions, as there are numerous other methods of biomass energy
conversion that provide stiff competition.

In this paper, gasification techniques have been reviewed in depth and the main factors to be
considered in the design of a gasification plant have been outlined.

It is observed that there are a great number of factors involved in design and operation of a
gasification plant, and many of them are critical. Moreover, having designed a plant according
to certain specifications, there is a high probability that these initial conditions can vary,
causing a malfunction of the plant. In recent years, biodiesel has attracted significant attention
from researchers, governments, and industries as a renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic
fuel. However, several feedstocks have been proven impractical or infeasible because of their
extremely high cost due to their usage primarily as food resources. Waste cooking oil (WCO)
is considered the most promising biodiesel feedstock despite its drawbacks, such as its high
free fatty acid (FFA) and water contents. This review paper provides a comprehensive
overview of the pre-treatment and the usage of WCO for the production of biodiesel using
several methods, different types of reactors, and various types and amounts of alcohol and
catalysts. The most common process in the production of biodiesel is transesterification, and
using a methanol–ethanol mixture will combine the advantages of both alcohols in biodiesel
production. In addition, this paper highlights the purification and analysis of the produced
biodiesel, operating parameters that highly affect the biodiesel yield, and several economic
studies. This review suggests that WCO is a promising feedstock in biodiesel production.
Nowadays, there are several problems to be urgently addressed for China: rural development,
energy security and environmental protection. To promote biomass energy as a substitution for
traditional fossil fuel is one of important ways to solve these problems. Data of China industrial
departments for duration of 1987–2009, making use of AES and MES, is selected for the
empirical analysis. The results shows that: (1) China’s demand for biomass will increase with
the decrease from the own-price, while traditional fossil fuel prices and demands varying to
the same direction shows that price-induce conservation has nothing to do with reducing
consumption. (2) CPE proves that biomass is an effective substitution for traditional fossil fuel
factor, the reducing in biomass prices will lead to the decrease of demand for traditional fossil
fuel. (3) MES indicates that with the reduction of biomass prices, the cost structure of energy
consumption of traditional fossil fuel will be reduced, the trend of net substitution is enhancing
which proves that price-induce conservation will promote the substitution.
Literature Survey

Synthesis gas from biomass can be produced and utilized in different ways. Conversion of
biomass to synthesis gas can be done either in fluidized bed or entrained flow reactors. As
gasification agent oxygen, steam, or mixtures are used. The most common use of biomass
gasification in the last decades has been for heat and/or power production. Nowadays, the
importance of transportation fuels from renewables is increased due to environmental aspects
and growing fossil fuels prices. That is why the production of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) liquids,
methanol, mixed alcohols, substitute natural gas (SNG), and hydrogen from biomass is now in
focus of view. The most innovative and interesting ways of synthesis gas utilization and
projects, BioTfueL or GoBiGas, Bioliq, Choren, etc. are discussed here. Further the
microchannel technology by Oxford Catalysts and distributed production of SNG in decentral
small scale are presented. The synthesis platform in Gussing, Austria is also presented. The FT
liquids, hydrogen production, mixed alcohols, and Bio SNG, these are the projects associated
with the FICFB gasification plant in Gussing. Also the principle and examples of sorption‐
enhanced reforming to adjust H2/CO ratio in product gas during the gasification is described.

First generation biofuels are presently on the market and comprise PPO (pure plant oil), FAME
(fattyacid methyl esters like RME: rape seed methyl ester), biogas, and ethanol from starch and
sugar. Second (and third) generation biofuels are generally characterised by a better
environmental performance and a higher front-end flexibility than first generation biofuels.
Second generation biofuels are Fischer-Tropsch fuels, DME, methanol, ethanol from
lignocellulose feedstocks like wood and straw, mixed alcohols produced from synthesis gas,
Substitute Natural Gas (SNG), and H2(also sometimes referred to as third generation fuel). In
Figure 1.1, the main biofuels are ordered in a biomass versus generation matrix. Indicated are
the categories of biofuels that need synthesis gas (a mixture of H2and CO) as intermediate
product.

Synthesis gas definition

In this report, synthesis gas or syngas is defined as a gas that contains H2and CO as main
combustible components. Raw syngas mostly inevitably contains also considerable amounts
of CO2and H2O. Since syngas generally is used for the synthesis of chemicals and fuels at
elevated pressures, the concentration of N2in syngas usually should be minimised. Bio-
syngas is chemically identical to syngas, but is produced from biomass. This definition is in-
line with the definition used within the SYNBIOS-conference. Syngas is chemically different
from gases that normally are produced by low-temperature gasification processes such as
fluidised bed reactors. For clarity, the gas produced by these kind of reactors is called
“product gas” in this report. Product gas is defined as a combustible gas that contains H2and
CO, but also considerable amounts of hydrocarbons like methane. Product gas also inevitably
contains CO2and H2O and often N2.

Syngas market

To date, syngas is an important intermediate product in chemical industry. Annually, a total

of about 6EJ of syngas is produced worldwide, corresponding to almost 2% of the present
total worldwide primary energy consumption. The world market for syngas (mainly from
fossil energy sources like coal, natural gas and oil/residues) is dominated by the ammonia
industry. Other main applications are the production of hydrogen for use in refineries, e.g.
hydrogenation steps, and for the production of methanol. Figure 2.1shows the present syngas
market distribution.4%8%11%23%53%ammoniarefineries (H2)methanolelectricitygas-to-
liquidsotherFigure 2.1.Present world syngas market, totally ~6 EJ/y. Today’s, global use of
syngas for the production of transportation fuels in the so-called “gas-to-liquids” processes
(GtL) correspond to approx. 500PJ per year, i.e. from the Fischer-Tropsch processes of Sasol
in South Africa and of Shell in Bintulu, Malaysia. In the future, syngas will become
increasingly important for the production of cleaner fuels to comply with the stringent
emission standards. Syngas is the intermediate energy carrier for the production of second
generation biofuels like methanol, DME, cellulosic ethanol, and Fischer-Tropsch diesel. The
huge potential market for syngas is illustrated by the fact that almost 20% of the present
world primary energy consumption is for transportation fuels only.

Syngas production

. There are two thermo-chemical ways to produce synthesis gas (H2and CO) from biomass:
either by applying high temperatures or by using a catalyst at a much lower temperature [17].
The first route generally requires temperatures as high as 1300°C and generally involves an
entrained flow gasifier. The second route includes a fluidised bed gasifier and a downstream
catalytic reformer, both operating at approximately 900°C. The two options concern two
different evolution trajectories.

The gas produced by a fluidised bed gasifier (typically operated at 900°C) contains H2, CO,
CO2, H2O, and considerable amounts of hydrocarbons like CH4, C2H4, benzene and tars.
Although this so-called product gas is suitable for combustion processes, it does not meet the
requirements of synthesis gas, which is needed to produce biofuels or chemicals. The product
gas needs further treatment in a catalytic reformer where hydrocarbons are converted into
H2and CO (and CO2and H2O). Since most syngas conversion to liquid fuels requires raw gas
with very little or no inert gases, gasification and reforming should apply pure oxygen instead
of air. Steam is usually added as a moderator. Another option to avoid N2dilution is to use an
all thermal or indirect gasifier. In these reactors, gas production and heat generation do not
take place in the same reactor. This enables the use of air (in the heat generating reactor),
without having the N2-dilution of the gas coming from the gas generation reactor

Entrained flow gasification

The non-catalytic production of syngas (H2and CO) from biomass generally requires high
temperatures, typically 1300°C. The most common reactor for this is the entrained flow
gasifier [26]. Since biomass contains mineral matter (ash), a slagging entrained flow gasifier
seems to be the most appropriate technology [27].Entrained flow reactors need very small
fuel particles to have sufficient conversion. This requires extensive milling of solid fuels,
which is energy intensive and generally produces particles that cannot be fed by conventional
pneumatic systems [27]. R&D therefore focuses on ways to technically enable the fuel
feeding as well as improve the economics of the whole chain. The most promising pre-
treatment options are torrefaction and pyrolysis. These options enable efficient and cheap
production of syngas from biomass, mainly because it is characterised by relatively cheap
(long-distance) transport.

Torrefaction is a mild heat treatment at 250-300°C that efficiently turns solid biomass into a
brittle, easy to pulverise material (“bio-coal”) that can be treated as coal [31,32].
Furthermore, torrefied biomass can be pelletised very easily to obtain a dense and easy to
transport biomass fuel [33]. The hydrophobic nature of torrefied material further simplifies
logistics. Pulverized torrefied biomass can be fed like coal, thus enabling a smooth transition
from coal to biomass. Although torrefaction is a rather common process in e.g. coffee
industry, it has never been optimised for efficient production of a brittle “bio-coal”. Research
at ECN shows that the conversion of wood into a torrefied wood with similar milling
characteristics as hard coal can have a 90-95% LHV efficiency. The gases produced during
torrefaction can be used to supply the thermal needs of the process.

Polygeneration. The previous sections focused on the production of syngas with high yields
of H2and CO. This is desirable in order to get the maximum production efficiency of
biofuels/chemicals like methanol and Fischer-Tropsch diesel. The alternative approach is
called polygeneration. In this case, the H2and CO from a gas are used for the (once-through)
synthesis of a biofuel/chemical and the remaining components in the gas are used in a
different way, e.g. de production of electricity.

Biorefinery another integrated biofuel concept is sometimes referred to as bio refinery. A

concept that is of great interest in the US is where conventional (biological) fermentation is
combined with thermo-chemical conversion with syngas as intermediate product. This
concept efficiently produces ethanol and other alcohols from different kinds of biomass.

A cleaned and conditioned bio-syngas can be used for the synthesis of many products such as
biofuels.The most popular second generation biofuels have been mentioned: Fischer-Tropsch
diesel and other oil products, methanol, dimethyl-ether (DME), mixed alcohols (MA), and
even pure H2. The production efficiency depends on the type of biofuel. Theoretically, the
LHV efficiency with natural gas as feedstock is 84%, 82% and 78% for methanol, DME and
Fischer-Tropsch diesel respectively. The actual LHV efficiencies are lower: 68%, 71% and
63% respectively . In Japan, JFE reached 69% DME production efficiency from natural gas
in the 100 ton/day (~20 MWth) slurry phase DME reactor demonstration plant in Kushiro. In
principle, biofuels production is not different from processes where fossil syngas is used.
There are however a few biomass-related items that might change the concept. One of those
already mentioned is the scale of operation. Whereas fossil based syngas plants typically are
huge, some believe that biomass plants may not be larger than several 100 MWth, the size of
a typical paper and pulp mill. The limiting factor could be the availability of biomass
feedstock at a negotiated price. Downscaling the size might lead to different biofuel synthesis
concepts. Another difference between biofuels synthesis and the conventional processes for
the production of products and chemicals from syngas relates to process integration. Section
4.1already mentioned the option to combine chemical recovery and biofuel synthesis in a
paper and pulp mill by the gasification of black liquor. Another option that might change the
concept is the possibility to recycle by-products. This is mentioned by Choren, where naphtha
produced in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is recycled to the gasifier to increase the efficiency
of the diesel production. A completely different way of increasing the renewable character of
transportation fuels is to add H2from biomass in a refinery as green substitute for H2made by
reforming natural gas or residues. Although this option is limited in volume, it is relatively
cheap because it does not involve biofuel synthesis and upgrading. Instead, clean syngas will
suffice. Legislation and calculation methods however need to be adapted to this alternative
“biofuel” option.

Electricity from biomass

Electricity can be produced from biomass in three ways:

 Direct combustion: Direct combustion of biomass produces steam used to drive

steam turbines. This is common in the co-generation field in the sugar and forestry
industries.

 Thermal gasification: Thermal gasification of biomass produces syngas that is used

to run either internal combustion (IC) gas engines or gas turbines. Small scale
gasification of biomass is very common especially in agriculture, and conventional IC
engines are commonly used to drive generators.
  Fast pyrolysis: Fast pyrolysis produces syngas and liquid fuels with properties similar
to diesel fuel. The liquid fuel has the advantage that it can be stored and used later.
Pyrolysis fuels can be used in IC engine or gas turbine applications

Electrical power generation can make use of several biomass processes, including direct
combustion, combustion of gas derived from fermentation or gasification, and combustion of
pyrolysis fuel. Thermal gasification and pyrolysis are seen as the most promising
technologies for the generation of electricity from biomass.

Biofuels are fuels produced directly or indirectly from organic material or biomass which
includes plant materials and animal and human waste. Production of electrical energy using
biomass as a fuel involves accessing the hydrocarbon portion of the biomass that can be
converted into heat. Biofuels are considered renewable as they use energy from sunlight to
recycle the carbon in the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide through a process, known
as carbon fixation, that takes inorganic carbon (in the form of CO2) and converts it into
organic compounds.

Much of the current biofuel production focuses on production of liquid fuels (by
fermentation) for transportation. A comparative study of biomass electricity production and
biomass ethanol production however, claims that it would be far more efficient to use the
biofuels to generate electricity directly and power electric vehicles.

Most current biomass electricity production plants are based on direct combustion of waste
biomass, such as bagasse and sawmill waste, although fermentation to produce biogas is in
common use. Gasification and pyrolysis of crops grown specially for electricity production is
a new approach that needs development.

Usage of biomass gasification and pyrolyis is still small compared to other techniques for
exploiting biomass energy, but is growing. Advances in technology and the construction of
large-scale gasification plants have not provided a sufficient boost to increase the level of
implementation of gasification despite its advantages in aspects such as greater efficiency and
the reduction in CO2 emissions, as there are numerous other methods of biomass energy
conversion which provide stiff competition. There is an increasing interest in pyrolyis
because of the disconnect that is possible between the production and consumption, both in
time and space, as the fuel produced can be stored and can be consumed at a site remote from
the site of production.

Direct combustion: Direct combustion of biomass for electricity production is common in the
forestry and timber industries. It has been estimated that 53% of the raw timber delivered to
sawmills ends up as biomass in the form of woodchips, bark and sawdust.

Direct combustion of agricultural waste in co-generation plants has been used for many years
in the sugar industries in South Africa, and co-firing of biomass with coal has been under
investigation for some time. In the sugar industry the primary use of biomass is combustion
for heating boilers to produce steam for sugar production process, and excess steam is used
for electricity generation. The raw cane after crushing provides more biomass than is
necessary to produce steam for sugar production, and this is used to produce steam for
electricity generation, some of which is used in the sugar refinery. Co-generation plants often
produce more energy than what is required and are able to feed surplus electricity into the
grid. In some locations, such as Mauritius, the sugar production industry provides a
significant proportion of the total electricity supply. Co-firing of raw biomass with coal has
found limited application although it has been used successfully in some plants.

Fixed Bed Gasifiers

Gasification

Biomass gasification is a thermal process which converts organic carbonaceous materials

(such as wood waste, shells, pellets, agricultural waste, energy crops) into a combustible gas
comprised of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H) and carbon dioxide (CO2). This is
achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures, without fully combusting it, using a
controlled oxygen (O) inlet. The resulting gas mixture is called syngas. At temperatures of
approximately 600 to 1000°C, solid biomass undergoes thermal decomposition to form gas-
phase products which typically include CO, H, CH4, CO2, and H2O. In most cases, solid char
plus tars that would be liquids under ambient conditions are also formed. The gas
composition depends on many factors including the type of feedstock, gasification
temperature and the reactor type.

The interest in small-scale gasifiers began over a century ago and has continued into the
present. Small-scale gasification can be used to power conventional IC engines and is very
popular in the farming community. Most plant uses wood as the feed stock, but the process
can be used for any type of biomass. There are a large number of manufacturers offering
small-scale gasification plants worldwide. The challenge is the use of large-scale gasifiers for
grid scale electricity production. Gasification of energy crops for electricity production is
limited to small-scale plant using largely waste, and has not yet advanced to large-scale,
which may be due to unavailability of large volumes of energy crops suitable for gasification.
However biomass gasification is expected to become increasingly important as a carbon
neutral means of electricity generation in future.

There are four stages in involved in gasification process:

 Drying: In the drying zone, moisture in the feedstock is evaporated by the heat from
the lower zones at a temperature of between 150 and 200°C. Vapours move down and
mix with vapours originating in the oxidation zone. A part of the vapour is converted
into oxygen with the remainder being retained in the producer gas.

 Pyrolysis: This is the thermal decomposition of biomass in low oxygen conditions at

temperatures ranging from 200 to 600°C. For gasification to take place, there must
always be such a zone of relatively low temperatures where condensable
hydrocarbons are generated. Pyrolysis results in the production of solid char, liquid
 tar, and a mixture of gases. The proportions of these components are influenced by the
chemical composition of the biomass and operating conditions of the gasifier, of
which reactor temperature is critical. It is generally understood that pyrolysis involves
the breakdown of large molecules (such as cellulose, hemi‐cellulose, and lignin) into
medium‐size molecules and carbon (char). If medium‐size molecules remain in the
hot zone long enough, they will break down into smaller molecules and, along with
the char, form molecules like CO, CO2, H2, CH4, etc.

 Combustion: Oxidation occurs in the presence of a reactive gas (air or pure oxygen)
which affect the calorific value of the gas leaving the gasifier. The use of air as
reactive gas is the more common. Oxidation is the phase that provides heat for the
phases of the gasification process. Produces carbon dioxide and water. An oxidation
zone follows at which air is introduced at less than stoichiometric oxygen (O2)
conditions. The principal reactions are highly exothermic and thus result in much
higher temperatures, leading to the breakdown of medium‐size molecules, such as tars
and oils generated in the pyrolysis zone, into smaller molecules including CO, H2,
CH4, etc. Oxidation takes place at temperatures ranging from 700 to 1000°C. In
addition to O2 and water vapour, ambient air contains large amounts of N2 and small
amounts of other inert gases, all of which are considered to be non‐reactive with fuel
constituents at relatively low pressures and temperatures
 Reduction: The products of the oxidation zone, hot gases and glowing char, move into
the reduction zone. Since there is insufficient O2 in this high‐temperature zone for
continued oxidation, a number of reduction reactions take place between the hot gases
(CO, H2O, CO2, and H2) and char. The principal reduction reactions are a carbon
dioxide reaction, a water gas reaction, and a water‐gas shift reaction. The char
produced reacts with water vapour and carbon dioxide, thereby forming hydrogen and
carbon monoxide, principal constituents of the combustible gas.

Conclusion:

Biomass and Waste Gasification with CHP Electrical Generation.

Modular design achieving 6.1 MW with biomass and waste feedstocks from 30% to 54%
moisture content.
Electrical power generation up to 2 MWe.
Steam production of up to 30 bar and 480 deg.
gasifier flue gas outlet temperature of 1025 deg C using 54% moisture content fuel.
Fully automated control system enabling unmanned operation.
Flue gas recirculation for precise control of supper-heat temperature.
Flue gas oxygen level control to maximise efficiency.
Automatic grate fuel level adjustment for consistent gasification.
Pre-drying zone for high moisture content fuels.
Fuel storage and indeed system capable of handling random, unscreened material.
Typical fuel feed rate for wood is 7 - 10 tonnes per hour at a bulk density of 350 kg/m3
Various emission control systems available, depending on fuel type, to achieve
WID requirements

Advantages

One of the major advantages of biomass energy is that it produces a smaller amount of
harmful greenhouse gases than fossil fuel alternatives produce. Biomass energy produces less
carbon than fossil fuel energy. Levels of the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide
could also be reduced through the use of biomass energy sources as these gases are produced
by organic matter if left to decay without being used for a purpose such as this.

Another environmental benefit of biomass energy is that it produces lower levels of sulfur
dioxide which is a major component of acid rain. Biomass energy is easily sustainable if
crops are farmed and managed effectively and is available wherever plants can be grown.
One further advantage of biomass energy is that it can be used for a range of different
purposes, including heat production, fuel for cars and the production of electricity.

Disadvantages

One of the disadvantages of biomass energy is the amount of space that it requires. A great
deal of land and water are needed for some biomass crops to be produced and, when they
have grown, the product requires a large amount of storage room before being converted into
energy. Another disadvantage is that biomass energy is not entirely clean. Some greenhouse
gases are still produced; although the levels of these gases are far less than those produced by
fossil fuels.
One other disadvantage of biomass fuel production is that it is quite expensive, with costs
including paying for the large amount of labour involved and transportation costs as this type
of energy must be produced close to where the source is obtained.

References:

Bio energy (2004): Biomass IEA Gasification Success Stories.

Barun Kumar Das and S m Najmul Hoque.

Reinhard Rauch, Jitka Herbk and Herman Hogbauer.

Rameshwar kumar Bochalya.