View source for Biology:Bioenergy

{{Short description|Energy made from recently-living organisms}}
{{Unbalanced|talk=What exactly is the factual accuracy dispute please?|date=May 2023}}


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'''Bioenergy''' is energy made or generated from [[Biology:Biomass (energy)|biomass]], which consists of recently living (but now dead) organisms, mainly plants.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bioenergy Basics |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-basics |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Energy.gov |language=en}}</ref> Types of biomass commonly used for bioenergy include wood, food crops such as corn, [[Biology:Energy crop|energy crop]]s and waste from forests, yards, or farms.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 21, 2018|title=Biomass – Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy|url=https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/?page=biomass_home|publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration}}</ref> The [[Organization:Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change|IPCC]] (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) defines bioenergy as a renewable form of energy.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change|url=https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/SRREN_Full_Report-1.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412093051/https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/SRREN_Full_Report-1.pdf |archive-date=2019-04-12 |access-date=|website=IPCC}}</ref> Bioenergy can either [[Earth:Climate change mitigation|mitigate]] (i.e. reduce) or increase [[Earth:Greenhouse gas emissions|greenhouse gas emissions]]. There is also agreement that local environmental impacts can be problematic.

== Terminology ==
[[File:Steven's_Croft_Biomass_Plant_-_geograph.org.uk_-_800207.jpg|thumb|Biomass plant in Scotland.]]
Since [[Biology:Biomass (energy)|biomass]] can be used as a fuel directly (e.g. wood logs), the terms biomass and biofuel have sometimes been used interchangeably. However, the word biomass usually denotes the biological raw material the fuel is made of. The terms [[Earth:Biofuel|biofuel]] or [[Physics:Biogas|biogas]] are generally reserved for ''liquid'' or ''gaseous'' fuels respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biofuels explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) |url=https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biofuels/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=www.eia.gov}}</ref>

== Input materials ==


'''Thermal conversion''' processes use heat as the dominant mechanism to upgrade biomass into a better and more practical fuel. The basic alternatives are [[Chemistry:Torrefaction|torrefaction]], [[Chemistry:Pyrolysis|pyrolysis]], and [[Physics:Gasification|gasification]], these are separated mainly by the extent to which the chemical reactions involved are allowed to proceed (mainly controlled by the availability of oxygen and conversion temperature).{{sfn|Akhtar|Krepl|Ivanova|2018}}

Many '''chemical conversions''' are based on established coal-based processes, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.{{sfn|Liu|Larson|Williams|Kreutz|2011}} Like coal, biomass can be converted into multiple commodity chemicals.<ref>[http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=75,15179&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL Conversion technologies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026171218/http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=75,15179&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|date=2009-10-26}}. Biomassenergycentre.org.uk. Retrieved on 2012-02-28.</ref>

'''Biochemical''' processes have developed in nature to break down the molecules of which biomass is composed, and many of these can be harnessed. In most cases, microorganisms are used to perform the conversion. The processes are called [[Physics:Anaerobic digestion|anaerobic digestion]], fermentation, and composting.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-05-29|title=Biochemical Conversion of Biomass|language=en-US|newspaper=BioEnergy Consult|url=http://www.bioenergyconsult.com/biochemical-conversion-technologies/|access-date=2016-10-18}}</ref>

== Applications ==

===Biomass for heating===
{{excerpt|Biomass heating systems}}

=== Biofuel for transportation ===

First-generation (or "conventional") biofuels are made from ''food'' sources grown on arable lands, such as [[Biology:Sugarcane|sugarcane]] and [[Biology:Maize|maize]]. Sugars present in this biomass are fermented to produce bioethanol, an alcohol fuel which serves as an additive to gasoline, or in a [[Physics:Fuel cell|fuel cell]] to produce electricity. [[Chemistry:Ethanol#Fuel|Bioethanol]] is made by [[Chemistry:Ethanol fermentation|fermentation]], mostly from [[Chemistry:Carbohydrate|carbohydrate]]s produced in [[Chemistry:Sugar|sugar]] or [[Chemistry:Starch|starch]] crops such as [[Biology:Maize|corn]], [[Biology:Sugarcane|sugarcane]], or [[Biology:Sweet sorghum|sweet sorghum]]. Bioethanol is widely used in the United States and in Brazil. [[Chemistry:Biodiesel|Biodiesel]] is produced from the oils in for instance rapeseed or sugar beets and is the most common biofuel in Europe.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

[[Chemistry:Second-generation biofuels|Second-generation biofuels]] (also called "advanced biofuels") utilize ''non-food''-based biomass sources such as perennial energy crops and agricultural residues/waste. The feedstock used to make the fuels either grow on arable land but are byproducts of the main crop, or they are grown on marginal land. Waste from industry, agriculture, forestry and households can also be used for second-generation biofuels, using e.g. [[Physics:Anaerobic digestion|anaerobic digestion]] to produce [[Physics:Biogas|biogas]], [[Physics:Gasification|gasification]] to produce [[Chemistry:Syngas|syngas]] or by direct combustion. [[Chemistry:Cellulose|Cellulosic biomass]], derived from non-food sources, such as trees and grasses, is being developed as a feedstock for ethanol production, and biodiesel can be produced from left-over food products like vegetable oils and animal fats.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

=== Production of liquid fuels ===

* [[Biology:Biomass to liquid|Biomass to liquid]]

* [[Biology:Bioconversion of biomass to mixed alcohol fuels|Bioconversion of biomass to mixed alcohol fuels]]

== Comparison with other renewable energy types ==
[[File:Eucalyptus plantation, Kodaikanal.jpg|thumb|Eucalyptus plantation in India.]]

=== Land requirement ===
The surface power production densities of a crop will determine how much land is required for production. The average lifecycle [[Physics:Surface power density|surface power densities]] for biomass, wind, hydro and solar power production are 0.30 W/m<sup>2</sup>, 1 W/m<sup>2</sup>, 3 W/m<sup>2</sup> and 5 W/m<sup>2</sup>, respectively (power in the form of heat for biomass, and electricity for wind, hydro and solar).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smil |first=Vaclav |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/927400712 |title=Power density : a key to understanding energy sources and uses |date=2015 |isbn=978-0-262-32692-6 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |pages=26–27, 211, box 7.1 |oclc=927400712}}</ref> Lifecycle surface power density includes land used by all supporting infrastructure, manufacturing, mining/harvesting and decommissioning. 

Another estimate puts the values at 0.08 W/m<sup>2</sup> for biomass, 0.14 W/m<sup>2</sup> for hydro, 1.84 W/m<sup>2</sup> for wind, and 6.63 W/m<sup>2</sup> for solar ([[Median|median]] values, with none of the renewable sources exceeding 10 W/m<sup>2</sup>).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Van Zalk |first1=John |last2=Behrens |first2=Paul |date=2018-12-01 |title=The spatial extent of renewable and non-renewable power generation: A review and meta-analysis of power densities and their application in the U.S. |journal=Energy Policy |language=en |volume=123 |pages=86 |doi=10.1016/j.enpol.2018.08.023 |issn=0301-4215 |doi-access=free|hdl=1887/64883 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

== Related technologies ==

=== Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) ===
[[Physics:Carbon capture and storage|Carbon capture and storage]] technology can be used to capture emissions from bioenergy power plants. This process is known as [[Earth:Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage|bioenergy with carbon capture and storage]] (BECCS) and can result in net [[Earth:Carbon dioxide removal|carbon dioxide removal]] from the atmosphere. However, BECCS can also result in net positive emissions depending on how the biomass material is grown, harvested, and transported. Deployment of BECCS at scales described in some climate change mitigation pathways would require converting large amounts of cropland.{{sfn|National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine|2019|p=3}}{{Excerpt|Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage}}

== Climate and sustainability aspects ==
[[File:Bioenergy_system_boundaries.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Alternative system boundaries for assessing climate effects of forest-based bioenergy. Option 1 (black) considers only the stack emissions; Option 2 (green) considers only the forest carbon stock; Option 3 (blue) considers the bioenergy supply chain; Option 4 (red) covers the whole bioeconomy, including wood products in addition to biomass.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Cowie |first1=Annette L. |last2=Berndes |first2=Göran |last3=Bentsen |first3=Niclas Scott |last4=Brandão |first4=Miguel |last5=Cherubini |first5=Francesco |last6=Egnell |first6=Gustaf |last7=George |first7=Brendan |last8=Gustavsson |first8=Leif |last9=Hanewinkel |first9=Marc |last10=Harris |first10=Zoe M. |last11=Johnsson |first11=Filip |last12=Junginger |first12=Martin |last13=Kline |first13=Keith L. |last14=Koponen |first14=Kati |last15=Koppejan |first15=Jaap |date=2021 |title=Applying a science‐based systems perspective to dispel misconceptions about climate effects of forest bioenergy |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcbb.12844 |journal=GCB Bioenergy |language=en |volume=13 |issue=8 |pages=1210–1231 |doi=10.1111/gcbb.12844 |s2cid=235792241 |issn=1757-1693|hdl=10044/1/89123 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>]]
{{excerpt|Sustainable energy#Bioenergy|paragraphs=2-4|file=no}}

== Environmental impacts ==

Long-distance transport of biomass have been criticised as wasteful and unsustainable,{{sfn|IFL Science|2016}} and there have been protests against forest biomass export in Sweden{{sfn|Forest Defenders Alliance|2021 }} and Canada.{{sfn|STAND.earth|2021}}

== Scale and future trends ==
Generally, bioenergy expansion fell by 50% in 2020. China and Europe are the only two regions that reported significant expansion in 2020, adding 2 GW and 1.2 GW of bioenergy capacity, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Adds Record New Renewable Energy Capacity in 2020 |url=https://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2021/Apr/World-Adds-Record-New-Renewable-Energy-Capacity-in-2020 |access-date=2021-11-22 |website=/newsroom/pressreleases/2021/Apr/World-Adds-Record-New-Renewable-Energy-Capacity-in-2020 |language=en}}</ref>

Almost all available sawmill residue is already being utilized for pellet production, so there is no room for expansion. For the bioenergy sector to significantly expand in the future, more of the harvested pulpwood must go to pellet mills. However, the harvest of pulpwood (tree thinnings) removes the possibility for these trees to grow old and therefore maximize their carbon holding capacity.<ref name="Brack2017">Brack, D. (2017)  [https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/research/2017-02-23-woody-biomass-global-climate-brack-final2.pdf Woody Biomass for Power and Heat Impacts on the Global Climate]. Research Paper - Environment, Energy and Resources Department.</ref>{{rp|19}} Compared to pulpwood, sawmill residues have lower net emissions: "Some types of biomass feedstock can be carbon-neutral, at least over a period of a few years, including in particular sawmill residues. These are wastes from other forest operations that imply no additional harvesting, and if otherwise burnt as waste or left to rot would release carbon to the atmosphere in any case."<ref name="Brack2017" />{{rp|68}}

== By country ==
{{World topic|Bioenergy in|title=Bioenergy by country|noredlinks=yes|state=show}}

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Earth:Biochar|Biochar]]
* [[Biology:Biomass to liquid|Biomass to liquid]]
* Biorefinery
* European Biomass Association
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book | last1=Pishvaee | first1=Mir Saman | last2=Mohseni | first2=Shayan | last3=Bairamzadeh | first3=Samira | title=Biomass to Biofuel Supply Chain Design and Planning Under Uncertainty | chapter=An overview of biomass feedstocks for biofuel production | publisher=Elsevier | year=2021 | isbn=978-0-12-820640-9 | doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-820640-9.00001-5| s2cid=230567249 }}
* {{cite journal | last1=Akhtar | first1=Ali | last2=Krepl | first2=Vladimir | last3=Ivanova | first3=Tatiana | title=A Combined Overview of Combustion, Pyrolysis, and Gasification of Biomass | journal=Energy & Fuels | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=32 | issue=7 | date=2018-07-05 | issn=0887-0624 | doi=10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b01678 | pages=7294–7318| s2cid=105089787 }}
* {{cite journal | last1=Liu | first1=Guangjian | last2=Larson | first2=Eric D. | last3=Williams | first3=Robert H. | last4=Kreutz | first4=Thomas G. | last5=Guo | first5=Xiangbo | title=Making Fischer−Tropsch Fuels and Electricity from Coal and Biomass: Performance and Cost Analysis | journal=Energy & Fuels | publisher=American Chemical Society (ACS) | volume=25 | issue=1 | date=2011-01-20 | issn=0887-0624 | doi=10.1021/ef101184e | pages=415–437}}
* {{Cite book|author=(([[Organization:National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine|National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine]]))|title=Negative Emissions Technologies and Reliable Sequestration: A Research Agenda|year=2019|isbn=978-0-309-48452-7 |doi=10.17226/25259 |pmid=31120708|s2cid=134196575|url=https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25259/negative-emissions-technologies-and-reliable-sequestration-a-research-agenda|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525204549/https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25259/negative-emissions-technologies-and-reliable-sequestration-a-research-agenda|url-status=live}}
* {{cite web | author= Climate Central | title=Pulp Fiction, The Series | date=2015-10-23 | url=https://www.climatecentral.org/news/pulp-fiction-the-series-19592 | access-date=2022-02-12 }}
* {{cite web | author=IFL Science | title=British Power Stations Are Burning Wood From US Forests – To Meet Renewables Target | date=2016-03-14 | url=https://www.iflscience.com/environment/british-power-stations-are-burning-wood-us-forests-meet-renewables-target/}}
* {{cite web | author=Forest Defenders Alliance | date=2021 | title=Standing up for forests and against the Swedish forestry model: A letter to EC policymakers | url=https://forestdefenders.eu/standing-up-for-forests-and-against-the-swedish-forestry-model-a-letter-to-ec-policymakers/ }}
* {{cite web | author=STAND.earth | title=Risk Map: Primary forest and threatened caribou habitat overlap with preliminary estimated wood pellet haul zones for Pinnacle/Drax in British Columbia | date=2021-03-23 | url=https://www.stand.earth/publication/forest-conservation/forests-and-wood-pellets/risk-map-primary-forest-and-threatened }}
* {{Cite book |last=Tester |first=Jefferson |title=Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options |publisher=MIT Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-262-01747-3 |oclc=892554374}}
* {{Cite book |last=Smil |first=Vaclav |title=Energy Transitions: Global and National Perspectives |publisher=Praeger Publishing |year=2017a |isbn=978-1-4408-5324-1 |oclc=955778608 }}
* {{cite book |author=IPCC |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/ |year=2014 |title=Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change: Working Group III contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |editor-first1=O. |editor-last1=Edenhofer |editor-first2=R. |editor-last2=Pichs-Madruga |editor-first3=Y. |editor-last3=Sokona |editor-first4=E. |editor-last4=Farahani |editor-first5=S. |editor-last5=Kadner |display-editors=4 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-05821-7 |oclc=892580682 |archive-date=26 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126121016/http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/ |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book |last=World Health Organization |year=2016 |title=Burning Opportunity: Clean Household Energy for Health, Sustainable Development, and Wellbeing of Women and Children |url=https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/204717/9789241565233_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |isbn=978-92-4-156523-3 |url-status=live |archive-date=13 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613080258/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/204717/9789241565233_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}
{{refend}}

{{Bioenergy|state=expanded}}
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[[Category:Bioenergy| ]]

{{Sourceattribution|Bioenergy}}