The need for natural energy resources has increased manifold in the past few years. Natural energy resources like gasoline, diesel, natural gas, kerosene, coal, etc. are non-renewable resources. This means their supply is limited and overuse will lead to loss of these resources. Also, these natural energy resources lead to a lot of air and to some extent water pollution. In order to limit their use and supply, one has to look for alternative source of energy. These include solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydro energy, nuclear energy as well as biomass energy. This Buzzle article will cover information related to biomass energy, it advantages as well as disadvantages.
What is Biomass Energy?
Biomass is composed of organic material obtained mainly from plants and animals. Carbon is the main constituent of
biomass energy. Other than carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, heavy metals and alkaline earth are also present in biomass energy. It can be generated from plants and animal wastes, wood, leaves of plants, agricultural wastes, organic wastes, waste paper and wastes from food processing industries.
If one thinks about use of solar or wind energy, the problem lies with costs. This means elaborate setups are required to capture and convert solar energy into a usable form. Tidal energy tends to have very low potential commercially and nuclear as well as hydro plants may have many dangerous consequences. In such a situation, the most economical as well as safe form of energy is biomass energy. However, there are plenty of pros and cons of biomass energy that one should weigh carefully before deciding if this is the most suitable and viable energy resource. Let us have a look at some of the biomass pros and cons in the following paragraphs.
Biomass Energy: Advantages and Disadvantage
Biomass is an organic form of energy that can be used as fuel. It can help cut down the ever-rising costs of gas as well as electricity. Apart from its many advantages, there are a few cons as well. The following table will discuss these points on biomass energy pros and cons.
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Biomass Energy Cons |
- It is an inexhaustible and renewable energy source. The products obtained are biogas and biofuel. Heat and electricity are generated during biomass energy production.
- There is plethora of organic waste and agricultural waste generated everyday. Biomass is produced from these wastes, which makes biomass an easily available resource.
- It helps in solid waste management by keeping us pollution free. Incineration of biological wastes everyday, cuts down the levels of expulsion of carbon into the atmosphere. Thus, it maintains an ecological balance of carbon present in the environment.
- Biomass briquettes are the substances which produce electricity. The electricity generated by the briquettes is much cleaner than that obtained from fossil fuels.
- One of the most important advantages of biomass energy is that it is cost-effective. Generally, the energy is generated and supplied in the same area due to which installation of large pipelines is not required.
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- Some of the gases like carbon-dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are emitted into the atmosphere during biomass production which may damage the ozone layer. It may contribute to global warming.
- The process of extraction of biomass is very expensive. This is the reason in many places the projects of biomass energy extraction are never completed.
- The accumulation, harvesting and storage of raw biomass materials is quite expensive compared to that of fossil fuels.
- The set up of a biomass power plant requires huge space and the recycling of wastes requires a large amount of water.
- Another biomass energy disadvantage is that the ethanol produced during the process, may increase the levels of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere.
- Although, biomass can produce 10 times more energy than the sun or wind, it is also known to release the highest levels of gases that contribute to global warming.
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Interesting Facts of Biomass Energy
- Biomass is a ubiquitous resource.
- In rural districts, people use biomass as a source of heat for cooking and heating purposes.
- People living in rural areas use the fuel obtained from biomass for their agricultural activities like crop-drying.
- Biomass is used for the production of natural gas called biogas.
- Biomass can replace the use of fossil fuels thus contributing to a reduction in air pollution.
- Biodiesel is obtained from biomass which is a low-net-carbon fuel for vehicles.
Thus, after looking at the biomass energy pros and cons, one can easily notice that biomass advantages outweigh its disadvantages. Biomass has the potential to supply 10 times more energy than that produced from the wind and the sun. More effective methods of using biomass have evolved in recent times. Biomass will always remain a useful energy source as it is efficient and environment friendly.
