What are biofuels?

Biofuels are energy sources made from living things, or the waste that living things
produce.
Source: Green Choices, Cornell university

Examples of biofuels include ethanol (often made from corn in the United States and
sugarcane in Brazil), biodiesel (vegetable oils and liquid animal fats), green diesel
(derived from algae and other plant sources) and biogas (methane derived from animal
manure and other digested organic material).

Biomass
According to the Biofuels association of Australia biomass is the term used for the
biological material from living or recently living organisms such as wood, waste
materials, gases and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter that is specifically
grown in order to produce electricity or to produce heat.
The composition of biomass is carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen and small
quantities of other atoms, including alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metals can also be
found. Biomass is the building block or 'feedstock' for many other fuels.
Biomass excludes organic materials such as fossil fuels which have been transformed by
geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum. This is because although
fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are not considered biomass by the
generally accepted definition because they contain carbon that has been "out" of the
carbon cycle for a very long time. Their combustion therefore disturbs the carbon dioxide
content in the atmosphere.
To make it simpler energy recovered from organic material (plants and animal material)
is called biomass. A renewable and sustainable source of energy used to
create electricity or other forms of power.

Pros and cons of biomass

Pros

No Harmful Emissions: Biomass energy, for the most part, creates no harmful
carbon dioxide emissions. Many energy sources used today struggle to control
their carbon dioxide emissions, as these can cause harm to the ozone layer and
increase the effects of greenhouse gases, potentially warming the planet. It is
completely natural, has no such carbon dioxide side effects in its use.

Abundant and Renewable: Biomass products are abundant and renewable. Since
they come from living sources, and life is cyclical, these products potentially
never run out, so long as there is something living on earth and there is someone
there to turn that living things components and waste products into energy. In the
United Kingdom, biomass fuels are made from recycled chicken droppings. In the
United States and Russia, there are plentiful forests for lumber to be used in the
production of biomass energy.

Reduce Dependency on Fossil Fuels: It has developed as an alternate source of

fuel for many homeowners and have helped them to reduce their dependency on
fossil fuels.

Cost-effective: The price of biomass fuels are mostly in parity and in many cases
cheaper than other fossil fuels.

Cons

Require space: We need big areas for all the different processes that are required
in harnessing energy from biomass. The areas that are needed for storing can be
particular large.

Harmful to Environment: Thirdly, using animal and human waste to power

engines may save on carbon dioxide emissions, but it increases methane gases,
which are also harmful to the Earths ozone layer. So really, we are no better off
environmentally for using one or the other. And speaking of using waste products,
there is the smell to consider. While it is not physically harmful, it is definitely
unpleasant, and it can attract unwanted pests (rats, flies) and spread bacteria and
infection.

Storing. One of biomass energy advantages is the fact that it can be produced on
demand at the same time though this translates into huge warehouses for storing
the biomass fuel which adds a significant production cost.

Source: conserve energy future and home owner guide (energy informative)

Examples of materials that make up biomass fuel

Scrap lumber
Forest debris
Certain crops
Manure
Some types of waste residues
Source: ReEnergy holding limited

How is biomass generated?

Biomass can be generated by burning to produce electricity or to heat water.

It is heated to form a gaseous fuel (gasification). A biomass gasifier takes dry

biomass, such as agriculture waste, and with the absence of oxygen and high
temperatures produces synthesis gas (CO + H2), also known as pyrolysis of
biomass. The gasification process turns wet biomass, such as food
waste and manure, into methane (CH4) in a digestion tank. Processed into gas,
synthetic fuel oil, methane, ethanol, biodiesel, or methanol, which then can be
used to power vehicles and other machinery, including generators.

Distillation or processing of biomass to produce biofuels such as ethanol,

methanol or methane.

Source: environmental; science unit 1and 2 by Navindra Ramsaroop

Energy informative, an home owner guide to solar panels by
Mathias Aarre Maehlum

How is biomass transported?

Transporting biomass fuel to a power plant is an important aspect of any biomass energy
projects. Because a number of low moisture fuels can be readily collected and transported
to a centralized biomass plant location or aggregated to enhance project size, this
opportunity should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Transportation is primarily concerned with loading and unloading operation and
transferring biomass from pre-processing sites to the main processing plant or bio
refinery. Truck transport and for a few cases train transport may be the only modes of
transport. Barge and pipeline transport and often train transport involve truck transport.
Trucks interface with trains at loading and unloading facilities of a depot or processing
facility. Barge and pipeline require interfacing with train and/or truck transport at major
facilities either on land or at the shores.
Source: bio energy consult/powering clean energy

How efficient is biomass?