Utilization of Forest Biomass
Biomass is the most important renewable energy source used in the world today. Although the use of renewable sources has increased constantly in the past three decades, their use has not kept pace with the use of fossil fuels, which has increased five times more in absolute terms.
Due to the fossil fuel dominance of past global trends, there is a tendency to conceptually link biomass use with poor countries at a low level of industrialization. However, many industrialized countries are also major users of biomass. In Sweden and Finland, for example, biomass accounts for approximately one-fourth of the energy used. In Brazil, 27% of the energy comes from biomass, almost half being sugarcane based. In these countries, biomass is being used to feed modern and efficient systems, providing essential energy services.
Other renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and tide comprise a very small fraction, corresponding to less than 0.1% of the world total energy supply; while biomass corresponds to 10.6% of the world total energy supply and 79.4% of the total renewable energy supply (at right) (IEA 2006).
In general, biomass is mostly used in solid form and, to a less extent, in the form of liquid fuels, renewable municipal solid waste and gas. However, recent trends show a faster increase in the use of liquid biomass and municipal waste than solid biomass. Notably, while the use of solid biomass increased by 1.8% per year in industrialized countries since 1990, liquid biomass has grown at an annual rate of 84%. In comparison, wind and solar energy have reached growth rates above 20%. These large growth rates have to be considered with caution as the starting points for renewables have been quite low, but they do indicate a positive trend towards more use of renewable energy sources. In fact, when compared with other renewables, solid biomass showed the slowest growth since 1990 (IEA 2006).
Thus some opportunities are being realized particularly as a result of efforts to find new alternatives to fossil fuels in the transportation sector and in waste management. Nevertheless, considering the resource base that is readily available, for example in the form of residues from forestry and agriculture, and the great potential to grow more biomass, there is much more that can be done to enhance the role of bioenergy. In addition, interest in assessing biomass potential in different parts of the world has increased in the past few years in face of the implied pressure that bioenergy utilization can put on natural resources such as land and water. We are likely to see more of these types of studies in the near future. New technologies, for example for gasification of wood materials or black liquor in the pulp and paper industry, are likely to further increase the efficiency of biomass utilization.
A better understanding of the utilization of biomass for bioenergy can be gained by looking at regional and country grouping examples including:
Encyclopedia ID: p1156
