Bio-mass

The use of fossilized fuel has become the first point of reference in the technological development and social growth in our society worldwide. However, this developmet that could be a priori beneficial, carries an environmental risk we are currently witnessing (gas emmisions, acid rain, toxic wastage, deforestation, etc.)

If we are to hold a sustainable development, there are several energy production systems that can diminish the amount of contaminant gases and provides sustainability in time.

The alternatives to the use of fossilized fuels are related to the use of bio-mass and the production of biofuels. The term bio-mass is used to name all the organic matter coming from forests, all types of waste materials (urban, industrial, agricultural and forest).
Therefore, they are organic matter that can come from a previous industrial process and can be recycled as fuel. They should all have a positive energy outcome. This means that the energy necessary to exploit them must be inferior to the energy they will produce once they have been used.

Bio-mass energy is the oldest of all, since it has been used since men discovered fire. With the development of technology, processes to make use of this energy have improved enabling a better exploitation generating less waste than in previous processes.

Nowadays, bio-mass can be used to produce electricity and heat, using liquid, solid and gaseous fuels.

All the European countries use the solid bio-mass to get energy. The five top countries are France, Sweden, Germany, Finland and Portugal, representing 58% of the primary energy production coming from solid bio-mass. However, in the per capita production, the top countries are Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia and Austria.

To avoid the conflict in the use of raw materials aimed at food supply as biofuels, a “second generation” of biofuels is being used. The production of biofuels has to be controlled following maximum efficiency criteria and without competing with soil devoted to the production of food supply for humans and animals. This entails the production of biofuels using non edible raw materials. In this way, products such as cellulose, grass, straw, and microseaweed (a real revolution in the production of bio-mass)

Biofuels obtained from second generation raw materials are not as extended as those belonging to the first generation and require high investments in research and development. However, they have the potential of becoming a medium and long-term solution to the energy supply problems we will be finding short term. The most common liquid biofuels are bioethanol and biodiesel.

These liquid biofuels represent 2.6% of the energy from the fuels currently used for road transport in Europe, having reached in 4 years almost half the objective set by the 2010 European directive about biofuels fixing a 5.75%. Regarding the use of biofuels, Germany is the top country followed by France and Spain.

Source: Ecological Research Institute.

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