BIOMASS AS AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL

What is Biomass? Biomass is any organic matter. * Biomass is any organic matter. Including trees, plants, plant fiber, and animal wastes. Biomass is a renewable energy source

What is Bioenergy? The energy stored in biomass is called bioenergy. * The energy stored in biomass is called bioenergy. Bioenergy is very versatile: It can be used to provide heat, make fuels, and generate electricity. Many bioenergy sources are replenished through the cultivation of fast growing grasses, trees, and agricultural residues like vegetable oils, wheat straw, or corn. Source: American Bioenergy Association. Http://www.biomass.org

How Much Biomass is Out There? * The United States has enough land and agricultural networks to sustainably replace half of the nation’s gasoline use or all of its nuclear energy. Millions of tons of unused agricultural waste, manure, and sawdust has the potential to generate energy. Source: US Dept of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/nb2.htm

No Net Increase In Carbon Dioxide * Source: http://cr.middlebury.edu/es/altenergylife/sbiomass.htm The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide captured by photosynthesis millions of years ago. In contrast, carbon dioxide released through the use of biomass is balanced by carbon dioxide captured by recent growth of biomass This results in a far less net impact on greenhouse gas levels

Biofuels Biomass is one of the few renewable sources for transportation fuels Biofuels produce fewer emissions than petroleum fuels The two main types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel

Ethanol Also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol. * Also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol. Ethanol is made from the starch in certain grains, such as wheat, corn, or corn byproducts. Ethanol production usually begins with the grinding up of biomass such as wheat or corn. Once ground up, the starch or cellulose is converted into sugar. The sugar is then fed into microbes that use it for food, producing ethanol in the process. Source: US Dept. of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/ethanol.html

New Ethanol Technologies * Currently, research is being conducted for making ethanol from the cellulose (fiber) component in biomass, like municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues. This type of ethanol is called bioethanol. The use of bioethanol reduces the emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Source: US Dept. of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/nb2.html

Ethanol Uses * Most gasoline blends contain about 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. All vehicles are equipped to handle this mixture. Such a mixture reduces greenhouse gases by up to 4 percent. Source: US Dept. of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/nb2.html

E85 Fuel Fuel containing 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol can be used in flexible fuel vehicles. The use of E85 fuel reduces the emission of greenhouse gases by up to 37 percent. E85 is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Source: US Dept. of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/whatis_eth.html

Biodiesel * Biodiesel is a domestically produced renewable fuel that can be made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled restaurant greases.

History of Biodiesel * Dr. Rudolf Diesel actually invented the diesel engine to run on a myriad of fuels including vegetable oil. In 1911, He stated: “the diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the development of agriculture of the countries which use it.” He added: “the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today but such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time.” Source: Biodiesel America. Http://www.veggievan.org/biodeisel

Biodiesel Today Like ethanol, biodiesel is primarily used as a fuel blend. Most diesel blends are comprised of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. No additional modifications need to be added to a vehicle that runs on this biodiesel mixture. In addition, higher blends, even pure biodiesel can be used in many engines built since 1994 with little or no modifications.

How is Biodiesel Made? Fats and oils are chemically reacted with methanol to produce chemical compounds known as fatty acid methyl esters. Biodiesel is the name given these esters when they’re intended for use as a fuel. Currently, there is enough feedstock to supply 1.9 billion gallons of biodiesel. Source: National Biodiesel Board. http://www.biodiesel.org

Biopower * Biopower is the process of using biomass (plant and organic matter) to generate electricity. Biomass has been used for lighting, cooking, and heating ever since humans first discovered fire. Today, hundreds of US power plants use biomass resources to produce 65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. Source: US Dept. of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/nb2.html

Biopower The wood and paper industries generate and use about two-thirds of this power. Biomass is the single largest source of non-hydro renewable electricity.

Environmental Benefits of Biopower * Although biopower production results in increased particulate emissions, they are cleaner than coal fired power plants because they do not release sulfur dioxide. Additionally, bioenergy systems are carbon dioxide neutral because the plant material absorbs as much carbon dioxide during its life as released when it is burned to produce electricity. Source: Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Http://www.nesea.org/energy/info/biopower.html

Future Prospects of Bioenergy Bioenergy is generally cost competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity when biomass residue prices are very low or negative. Transportation costs are key to the price so biomass power plants must be sited near an ongoing, reliable biomass source. Most analysts believe that the economics of bioenergy will improve with higher efficiencies. Source: Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Http://www.nesea.org/energy/info/biopower.html

Biorefinery A biorefinery is a facility that breaks down biomass into fuels, power, and chemicals than can be used for human use. By producing many different products, a biorefinery can take advantage of the differences in biomass components and maximize the value derived from biomass.

Biorefinery To be cost effective, a biorefinery would have to be located near a specific biomass resource, like a cornfield. Biorefineries are closely modeled after petroleum refineries. A lot of the technology for an efficient biorefinery has already been developed.

Biobased Products * Biomass can also be used to make everyday products that are usually produced using fossil fuels Any product that we can make from fossil fuels can be identically made from biomass. Moreover, biobased products most often require less energy to produce than petroleum based products.

Biobased Products The U.S. already produces more than 300 billion pounds of biobased products each year, not including food. Examples of biobased products include: plastics, cleaning products, natural fibers, natural structural materials, and industrial chemicals. Biorefineries can be used to produce a variety of products that can be made from biomass. As a result, many people predict that biorefineries could become commonplace. Source: US Dept. of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/products.html

Biobased Products * DuPont has recently developed a biobased method that uses corn instead of petroleum based processes to produce a polymer platform for use in clothing, carpets, and automobile interiors. Additionally, Cargill Dow has a biorefinery in Blair, Nebraska that is currently producing polymers from corn sugar. Source: US Dept. of Energy- Biomass Program. Http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/products.html

Biomass and the Future The ability to cost effectively collect, store, and transport biomass presents many challenges. Infrastructure will have to be built to ensure a safe and efficient supply system for biomass. The biggest challenge is the cost of bioenergy: As long as fossil fuels remain cheaper than bioenergy, people will be hesitant to invest in this technology.