19 May BIOMASS: USING THE EARTH'S RESOURCES TO PRODUCE ENERGY?
In this article Takagreen informs you about one of the 5 main families of renewable energies: BIOMASS
Faced with the climate emergency and the need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from fossil industries, it appears essential to use new energy sources more environmentally friendly.
Working on the energy mix and integrating renewable energies is also one of the main levers to be activated to decarbonize industrial activity, which generates 1/5 of GHG emissions (According to the National Low Carbon Strategy aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 – cf. Climate Energy Law of 2019).
BIOMASS AS AN ENERGY SOURCE
- What is biomass? Called biomass the whole organic material living of animal or plant origin. This material that makes up living beings and their residues comes from the forest, agriculture, or some waste (green waste; bio-waste).
- How does it work ? Biomass is a energy supply because it originates from carbon cycle or photosynthesis. This energy source has many benefits : it is not likely to run out, it releases very few greenhouse gases and stores carbon. In France, biomass is the main source of renewable energy : it represents more than 55% of the final energy production.
- How is biomass valued? Thanks to the energy recovery of biomass, it is possible to produce three forms of useful energy : heat, electricity and driving force of movement. Several processes exist to recover biomass: The thermochemical sector which uses combustion, gasification, pyrolysis; anaerobic digestion (biogas, digestate) and the production of biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol).
BIOMASS FOR HEATING OR PRODUCING ELECTRICITY
> By combustion: The biomass boiler uses the energy released by the wood burning or grain to supply central heating or produce domestic hot water.
> By waste incineration: During combustion, waste releases energy which can be transformed into heat or electricity to power a network. A cogeneration which makes it possible to produce two different energies with the same installation.
Discover the responsible suppliers registered on Takagreen offering this type of solution:
- Account - R : Designer and manufacturer of biomass boilers
- MiniGreenPower : Biomass power plants and boilers - patented separate combustion technology to produce heat, cold and electricity
- Agree: Low temperature power generation
- Naoden : Local recovery of waste into electricity/and or heat thanks to the pyrogasification process
- Ecom : Process controller, combustion analyzer
- HoSt Biomass Boiler Supplier
> Anaerobic digestion is the process of fermentation of organic plant or animal matter in an oxygen-free environment (anaerobic). This reaction produces biogas, composed of 50% to 70% methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). These two gases being flammable, it is therefore sufficient to burn the biogas to produce heat and/or electricity.
Discover the responsible suppliers registered on Takagreen offering this type of solution:
- Sublime Energy : Collection and transport of biogas from the methanation of small agricultural productions to pool its purification and locally produce a green fuel
- Deltalys : Patented solution for the purification and filtration of ecological, competitive and intelligent biogas.
- HoSt : Supplier of bioenergy systems: biogas plants, biogas upgrading systems and biomass gasifiers
- Innolab France : Analysis and advice for the valorization of biomass (methanization and biogas production)
- Methavos: Designer and builder of dry methanization units
- Energy Weight: Valorization of biogas from landfill sites in the form of biomethane
- AgriCarbone : Trade in agricultural biomass, a neutral intermediary that promotes the coordination of biomass supply and demand between producers and industrialists.
- Elysetechnoloy : Valorization of biomass and production of bio-gas.
BIOMASS TO MOVE
The production of biofuels consists of transforming plants (cereals, beets, palm oil, etc.) into fuel. The sector of transportation represented in France, in 2019, 31% of greenhouse gas emissions. Le truck transport is the most contributory by participating in 94% of these GHGs. This is why it seems important to find alternatives with a more positive energy balance. Our partner supplier Elysetechnoloy also offers a solution for using biomass to produce bio-fuel.
Finally, discover our partner suppliers offering accessories related to the use of biomass:
- Wood station : Automatic dispenser that delivers doses of pellets / wood pellets in bulk.
- Nenufar Biogaz Biogas recovery pit cover.
WHAT ARE THE SUPPORT DEVICES?
The development of renewable energies benefits from state support. Some examples :
➔ The heat background managed by ADEME : supports the development of the use of thermal renewable energies: biomass (forestry, agriculture, biogas, etc.), as well as the development of heating networks using these energies. The sectors concerned are collective housing, the tertiary sector, agriculture and industry,
➔ Aid for the production and installation of biomass/wood heat
WHAT ARE THE ENERGY BENEFITS AND LIMITS OF BIOMASS?
La biomass is a renewable energy which presents many benefits to gradually replace fossil fuels and help reduce our C02 emissions.
Its use is likely to develop rapidly but this will have to be done on the basis of resources from a sustainable management. Indeed, it seems essential to mobilize biomass respect for the environment, biodiversity and soil fertility.
SOURCES:
https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/fiche-pedagogique/biomasse
https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/biomasse-energie#scroll-nav__4
Podcast:
Act4Gaz radio “WWF and the use of biomass for energy”