Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
matter derived from plants and animals and their waste or residual material and, in the
broader sense, all conversion products such as paper or cellulose, organic residuals
from the food industry, and organic waste from households, trade, and industry. Dis-
tinction from fossil fuels starts with peat, which is defined not to belong anymore to
biomass (Kaltschmitt and Hartmann, 2001; Spliethoff, 2009). The definition of bio-
mass for energy given in the European Directive 2009/28/EC is the following:
the
biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from biological origin from
agriculture (including vegetal and animal substances), forestry and related industries
including fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial
and municipal waste.
“
”
The major sources of renewable energy are:
Solar energy (solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) technologies)
Wind energy
Hydropower
Tidal energy
“
(based on osmosis driven by the salt concentration difference of
two water streams)
Blue energy
”
Geothermal energy
Bioenergy
The use of biomass for the generation of energy has many positive aspects, but
there are also critical issues associated with its use (see, e.g., Giuntoli, 2010). The pros
and cons are listed below.
Pros
Biomass is abundantly available stored solar energy, which is thus indi-
rectly used.
Biomass is available as a comparatively constant supply source as it can be stored
under certain biomass-specific conditions, so it may act as a
”
This is important in view of enabling energy supply security. Solar energy
and wind energy, on the contrary, are available as fluctuating sources for which
energy storage is still an area of development.
“
natural battery.
Bioenergy is the only renewable energy source that can be coprocessed with
fossil fuels in existing energy conversion systems (such as oil refineries or coal
gasification plants) so as to ensure a gradual energy transition to a renewable
energy source.
As biomass is formed (indirectly) on a relatively short time scale via photosyn-
thesis from CO
2
and water, which are released again in energy conversion sys-
tems, in theory, one can speak of a
“
carbon-neutral
”
fuel.
Waste streams and biogenic by-products can be valorized into valuable power,
heat, and chemicals.
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