Biomass energy technologies involve the use of renewable organic resources, also known as biomass, to produce energy-related products.
Biomass power is the largest source of renewable energy worldwide. By-products from most industries, including timber, agriculture, naturally occurring forest residues, household wastes and landfills, are all sources of biomass energy.
Through combustion, biomass can be used to create heat energy or for generating electricity. It can also be processed into biofuel. Various energy-related products can be derived from biomass resources.
Examples of biofuels includes ethanol, butanol, methane, biodiesel and hydrogen. Biomass power is the largest source of renewable energy worldwide.
Agricultural products like corn kernels, corn stalks, soybean and canola oils, animal fats, hardwoods and even algae can be converted to energy. Energy from plants is renewable. This is because they derive their energy from the sun and plants can regrow quickly.
Biomass energy has been used by humans for most of our history since we have been burning wood and other biological materials for heating and cooking purposes.
Bioenergy currently meets about 10 per cent of human energy needs around the world. The largest biomass power station in the world is in Finland. It produces a maximum of 265 MW of power.
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