While solar power, wind turbines, and nuclear energy tend to draw the headlines, other energy sources such as biomass also have great potential. However, is it an environmentally friendly energy source?
Being a carbon-neutral energy source, Biomass Energy does not contribute much to climate change issues associated with fossil fuels due to its green qualities.
These qualities include its organic nature, it is a renewable source of energy, and is derived from combustion of waste. The organic material used to produce biomass is never-ending since our society consistently produces waste such as refuse, wood scraps, and manure litter which are renewable.
Plants take in solar energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis and transform carbon dioxide and water into nutrients (carbohydrates).
Biomass energy reduces the overreliance on fossil fuels. According to K. McFarland on the SynTech Bioenergy website, “Not only is there a limited supply of fossil fuels, but they come with environmental baggage, including the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the pollutants that result from removal, transportation, and production,” said MacFarland
While fossil fuel production requires heavy capital for oil drills, gas pipelines, and fuel collection, biomass technology is much cheaper and reduces the amount of garbage in landfills as most of it is transformed into energy. When we burn solid waste, the amount of garbage dumped in landfills is reduced by, “60 to 90 percent and reduces the cost of landfill disposal and amount of land required for landfill,” Mc Farland says.
While it is cheaper and environmentally friendly, it is not completely clean and is not as efficient in comparison to other forms of energy. Ethanol, for example has to be strengthened with fossil fuels to increase its efficiency. The question of biomass being clean is debatable as animal and human waste create methane gas which is also damaging to the environment.
Additionally, the pollution created from burning wood and other natural materials can be considered just as bad.
However, more research and innovations are needed to provide a cheaper, alternative and valuable substitute for traditional electricity and alternative energy sources.
Text By Vanessa Mwedzi