Bio-energy

What is bio-energy ?

Bio-energy is the common denominator for all forms of energy that are derived from biomass, typically from plants. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants are capable of storing solar energy in the form of carbon-compounds. By its very nature, solar energy is plentiful and cannot be depleted. The amount of solar energy that reaches the surface of the planet far exceeds current energy demand. The amount of energy from the sun that is stored as carbon via photosynthesis is 10 times the projected world energy demand. Therefore the potential of biofuels to contribute to relieve the problems associated with fossil resources depletion and environmental pollution is unquestionable. An important advantage of fuels derived from biomass is that they do not contribute to the CO 2 content of the atmosphere. The reason for this is that any CO 2 emitted by using a biofuel is recycled into next years crop and does not aggravate the so-called green house effect.

Bio-energy can be harvested in the form of different energy carriers. It can be in the form of liquid energy carriers, commonly referred to as biofuels such as bio-ethanol, biodiesel or Straight Vegetable Oil. It can also be in the form of gaseous energy carriers such as biogas or bio-hydrogen, a very clean-burning gas. Traditional solid bio-energy carriers such as firewood can be used to generate heat. So-called energy plantations with fast growing trees that produce wood chips for energy generation are also under development. Furthermore, all forms of bio-energy can be used to generate green electricity.

Depending on the application, one or another form of bio-energy will be preferred. Gaseous forms of bio-energy such as biogas are easily and efficiently produced from biomass, often from waste streams, but are difficult to store or transport. For mobile applications such as car transport, liquid biofuels are the preferred form of bio-energy, as they combine efficiency, transportability, easy storage and perfect compatibility with present-day transport technologies. Liquid biofuels such as bio-ethanol and bio-diesel are typically used in mixtures with normal (fossil) gasoline or diesel, and can be used in normal cars or trucks, requiring no engine adaptations. Moreover, the addition of biofuels to fossil fuels increases the oxygen content of the fuel mixture, leading to a greatly improved combustion with less air pollutants produced.