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Biomass Energy

​Biomass contains large amounts of renewable energy making it a viable source of fuel and a range of refined products; either as-is, or after a series of conversion steps. One such notable example is the production of bio-ethanol.[6]

There is a general classification of biomass that is produced or sourced for conversion processes.[7] Biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel, and bioplastics, are typically derived from primary or “first-generation” source energy-dense plants and oils such as rapeseed, sugarcane, or corn. Their high content of sugars and oils makes them ideal as feedstocks, however, there are drawbacks to their use. As well as inflating the price of the chosen crop due to increased demand, arable land that would otherwise be used to grow food for human and animal consumption is rendered unavailable.

Secondary or “second-generation” source biomass encompasses a much wider variety of plant and animal matter. It may be derived from a relatively pure source, such as wood chippings or grass, or it may be a less well defined solid waste stream. This type of biomass is far more challenging to work with, as it contains a more varied mixture of compounds that cannot be easily converted into useful products. Despite this, there continues to be intensive research and industry interest in second-generation biomass conversion processes[8] due to its potential to re-use potentially valuable products and derivative products that would otherwise be wasted by incineration.