Biomass Energy
The most universal and widely spread source of energy on Earth.
In general, biomass is the waste of biological origin suitable to be used as energy. The advantage of biomass energy is that it can be stored for a relatively long time. Biomass can also have the form of wood-processing waste or wood meant for production of such energy, animal excrements or various waste produced when processing plants or plants meant for production of biomass energy. Biomass can be used for various forms of energy, either as thermal or electric energy or liquid fuels for motor vehicles. It is considered by many to be chemically preserved solar energy. At the same time, it is one of the most universal and widely spread sources of energy on Earth, but also one of the most controversial alternatives of alternative energy sources. In terms of potential energy use, it contains each organic source containing bound chemical energy, i.e. wood and wood waste in various forms, agricultural crops and waste from the crops, waste from animal and food production and biologically degradable fraction of industrial and communal waste. These types of waste can be processed using various technological procedures for various types of subsequent use.
Energy from biomass can be obtained in several ways that can be divided into three basic categories:
- Thermochemical conversion (direct combustion, pyrolysis or carburation)
- Biochemical conversion (anaerobic fermentation or aerobic fermentation)
- Mechanical and chemical conversion (oil pressing or esterification of raw biological oil) of energies
