Introduction
Biomass energy is important renewable source of energy that is derived from either living or organisms that were in existence recently. This energy source is used in dual purposes; to be used directly with the process of combustion to produce heat or through indirect means after its conversion into different forms of biofuels. The focus of our project would be usage of Biomass energy through mainly combustion process in the developing world. In this region biomass is the primary source of domestic energy supplying approximately over 70% of the energy consumed (Ndiema, Mpendazoe and Williams, 1997). By stating developing countries we are trying to refer to nations that have comparatively lesser living standards and developing industrial base in comparison to other countries of the world (Arthur, Sullivan and Sheffrin, 2003). The author has tried to keep the regions of focus wide ranging from Villages in Kenya to the Pearl River Delta Region in China. The purpose of doing of looking at different socio-economical regions is to study the wide variety of pollutants that may emerge based on the type of Biomass used.
Biomass Products.
There is a wide range of materials that come under the category of Solid Biomass. Some of the materials are more generalized such as wood, straw, agricultural residues, processing waste, algae and seaweeds (Jones, Ma, Pourkashanian and Williams, 2011). However, it has been found that the type of materials used as Biomass varies significantly based on the region they are used. For example in forested region of South East Asia materials such as Bamboo , Oil Palm trunk , Acacia and Rubber wood was used (Aghamohammadi, Aroua and Sulaiman , 2011). In terms of what cannot be deemed as Biomass ther...
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More than 17 million tonnes of fuel wood are consumed annually in Nepal, out of which less than 1% is commercialized. The rest is collected by the users free of cost from forests or their own cultivated land.
Fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, are Carbon rich compounds, the combustion of which produces Carbon Dioxide, a pollutant and a greenhouse gas. A large amount of energy is released during this process, which is why the pollutants off products are tolerated. This process occurs constantly throughout the world, in power stations, vehicles and cooking ovens, leading to an immense volume of CO2 being released every second, 50% of which is absorbed by oceans (Oce...
6. Srinivasan, V., Adhikari, S., Chattanathan, S. A. & Park, S. Catalytic Pyrolysis of Torrefied Biomass for Hydrocarbons Production. Energy & Fuels 26, 7347–7353 (2012).
Woodfuel is not a new form of fuel; historically wood has been used as fuel for millennia with many civilisations relying on it as a source of energy. Even today the global south still use wood to produce heat. At the turn of the 19th century wood in the UK was no longer the main source of energy, but instead fossil fuel, which now outlines and dominates the way we live today. Furthermore with a growing population since World War II, much of the UK agricultural land has been used for conservation schemes and agricultural harvest only. Nevertheless with the rising concern of climate change, woodlands are now emerging to be used again for the use of renewable energy. Woodfuel in the UK is available as sawdust, pellets, sheets, charcoal chips, and firewood. The particular type used depends upon factors such as application, quality, quantity and source. When we view the geography of woodfuel in the UK we can view it from a broader perspective that reflects the discipline of geography. Sustainability is a way which tries to combine earth landscapes, environments and people together. We view sustainability “through the so called ‘three pillars’, namely economic, social and environmental or ecological” (Gregory et al 2009: 738) and it is these pillars which are to “be used as a benchmark for goals in which we must achieve” (O’ Riordan 2004: 245) so that we can use todays resources without compromising future generations supplies. Due to greater awareness of climate change and the need to use low carbon, renewable source of energy, this essay will predominately focus on the sustainability of woodfuel in the UK.
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“The fuel is produced in a thermal/mechanical processor called a biomass fractionator. In a matter of minutes, the fractionator converts biomass like crop residues, algae, soft wood chips and rapid growth crops like switchgrass into multiple gas streams and into biochar. The gas can be upgraded to gasoline In a one-step catalytic conversion process.” (Rocke 1). The idea of this fuel source is also very cheap. It runs for about $1.50 per gallon. Finally, the use of Biochar can be shipped at in gallon tanks very easily. Aside from the cost and shipping efficiency, ‘According to one prominent study (Woolf et al, 2010), sustainable biochar implementation could offset a maximum of 12% of anthropogenic GHG emissions on an annual basis. Over the course of 100 years, this amounts to a total of roughly 130 petagrams (106 metric tons) of CO2-equivalents. The study assessed the maximum sustainable technical potential utilizing globally available biomass from agriculture and forestry. The study assumed no land clearance or conversion from food to biomass-crops (though some dedicated biomass-crop production on degraded, abandoned agricultural soils was included), no utilization of industrially treated waste biomass, and biomass extraction rates that would not result in soil erosion” (International Biochar Initiative
There is a heated debate about the pollution that biomass produced when burned. Sometimes, the pollution produced from burning the biomass materials might be as worse as that produced by burning coal or other types of energy materials. Carbon dioxide is not the only compound that comes from heating biomass materials. Biomass energy is considered to be a renewable source of power but it’s difficult to prove that it’s completely an efficient and clean source of energy.
Palm oil is considered an essential ingredient for the production of foods and other products in which human use. Orangutan Project (2015) states that ‘palm oil is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree’, and the ‘palm oil plantations are the main driver for deforestation in Indonesia’. The harvest of the palm trees for the production of palm oil affects the ecosystem as it can affect the environment. This investigation with highlight out the advantages of the palm fruit providing nutrients, it is essential for the productions of products, and this production being that palm oil can reduce poverty. The negatives of how the production of palm oil negatively affects the environment, the habitat of the animals, and social consequences
The production of briquettes from sawdust and other agro-residues exemplifies the potential of appropriate technology for the utilisation of biomass residues which abound in large quantities in developing countries. However, compared to developed countries where successful briquette operations are mostly found, briquettes have not been widely adopted in developing countries due to the high cost of production, lack of awareness on its sustainability, lack of ready market and poor packaging and distribution systems for the product Emerhi, EA (2011) In Ghana, commercial production of sawdust briquette started in 1984. The production could not be sustained due to operational, marketing and standardisation challenges, though the briquettes had high prospect as an alternative to firewood and charcoal. However, accordingto Oladeji, JT (2010)besides overcoming marketing and operational challenges, if agro-waste briquettes are to be used efficiently as fuel, they must be characterised
The continuous depletion of fossil fuel resources and their increased demand has changed the outlook from ancient resources of fuel to new resources especially biomasses of plant origin. Plant biomass is a promising raw material for fuel generation to sustain fuel requirements in the modern age. Basically biofuel these days can be divided into first generation and second generation depending upon the type of biomass used. Biofuel derived from sugars, oils, cereals, sugarcane and starch are categorised in first generation fuel while use of lignocellulosic biomass like soft and hardwood, agricultural wastes, straw and corn stover provides second generation fuels [1].
The composition of biomass as raw material provides a convincing explanation for the general use way which is renewable, available and biodegradable (21). Bioplastic produced of biomass have generally three main opportunistic include, the economy, the environment and medical application.
The study’s methodology was qualitative. While the study recognizes that palm oil plantation increases deforestation and consequently reducing biodiversity, the authors argues that the demand for palm oil up to the year 2020 can be met without any reduction of forest cover through the improvement of yields and conservation of degraded land. In particular, the study notes that while palm oil plantation endangers orangutan’s habitat, the authors suggest that encroachment of orangutan’s habitat could be reduced by up to 30% through the use of sustainable land use initiatives and policies. Overall, the findings of this article suggest that is there is a need to advocate for an environmental sustainable biomass industry in Malaysia in order to protect the natural habitat for
The authors suggest that the utilization of woody biomass is beneficial to the forest ecosystem, the environment, forest landowners, and society; stating that, woody biomass can help to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, to create healthier forests, and to reduce the risk of wildfires. This was supported by Alistair (2003) who suggested that many log residue benefits could be derived, especially when the world’s energy source is dwindling and our climate
Coal and crude oil are non-renewable resources. They take an extreme amount of time to form and due to that, they cannot be replaced once they have all been used up. However, when it comes to the biofuels, they are produced from plant material and are renewable. There are two types of biofuels: Biodiesel, which is made from rapeseed oil and other plant oils and is used in diesel-powered vehicles without needing any modifications to the engine, and Bioethanol, which is a liquid fuel that burns quite well and is made by fermenting sugars from sugar cane, wheat and other plants. In this essay, whether or not biofuels are becoming an increasingly important alternative to traditional forms of energy under environmental and economic benefits and
Sullivan, A., & Steven M., (2003). Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson Prentice Hal