Biofuels and Bioenergy

Biomass

Biomass is an organic material that is used to make fuel and is often used as a source of energy in power plants to generate electricity. Forest litter, scrap timber, some crops, compost, and waste residues are all examples of biomass fuels. Biomass can be obtained in one of two ways: directly through combustion to generate heat, or indirectly through conversion to various types of biofuel. The conversion of biomass to biofuel can be accomplished using a variety of methods, which can be divided into three categories: thermal, chemical and biochemical. Miscanthus, switch grass, willow, poplar, bamboo, sorghum, sugarcane, corn and several tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm, can all be used to produce industrial biomass (palm oil).