The Future of Biomass

Biomass energy has a promising future. At the same time, scientific and industrial research is developing new uses of organic matter while taking into account a number of environmental constraints.

Biomass Energy's Expected Rise

The term biomass refers to all organic matter that can be used as an energy source, such as:

   • Wood and plants from farming and forestry

   • Agricultural waste

   • Waste from certain industrial activities (sawmills and paper mills)

   • Organic household waste (e.g. peelings)

   • Algae and microalgae.

The number of biomass energy applications is expanding rapidly.

The number of applications for this energy feedstock is expanding rapidly. For instance:

   • Biomass is used as a fuel in wood-burning stoves that supply radiators in
multiple-occupancy buildings (university campuses and hospitals) or provide heat to industrial plants (factories). This type of system is being used more and more in France, for example. Since 2009, 500 new wood-burning stoves have been commissioned every year¹. Industry stakeholders want to improve their environmental performance by developing more efficient smoke filters to minimize pollutant discharge from these stoves. Similarly, more electricity and heating cogeneration plants operating on biomass are planned in Euroean countries.

   • Biomass can go into producing biofuels used in private vehicles and public transport. Scientific and industrial researchers are highly active in this area, experimenting with processes that make better use of biomass to make fuel. A major focus of this research is to develop the use of plant stems- currently unusable- as raw material. In addition, researchers are exploring the possibility of using microorganisms to facilitate biofuel production. Some of these convert plant cellulose into sugars that can be directly converted into bioethanol or other hydrocarbon molecules for use as fuel. For example, Total partner Amryis has developed technologies to optimize how microorganisms convert sugar.

   • Biogas is produced from organic waste through methanization. The biomass used up until now comes mostly from household waste. Techniques that are currently being developed will enable us to use any organic matter (sewage sludge, agricultural waste, and industrial effluents from the paper and agri-food sectors) in the future. In some European countries such as France, Germany, and Denmark, public authorities encourage setting up on-farm methanization plants. Many more of these plants are planned in the years to come.

Individual wood heating causes pollution and therefore has little future.

True and False. Burning wood in an open fire or stove does emit pollutants (fine dust, carbon monoxide, etc.) that have an adverse effect on indoor and outdoor air quality.

However, governments and industry stakeholders are working to minimize these emissions. In Europe, more fuel-efficient appliances and higher quality wood energy are coming onto the market. Individuals are encouraged to replace open fires with stoves and have their appliances serviced more regularly. These developments should help boost individual wood heating - in 2009, one in three French households was heated with wood².

Research Challenges- Innovative Outlets and Overcoming Obstacles

   • Green chemical products (detergents for example)

   • Plant fibers used to manufacture insulating materials

   • Plant fibers to replace conventional plastic in the production of dashboards and other automobile components

   • Cellulose textiles (i.e. derived from wood).

However, the use of biomass requires large-scale logistics which generates significant carbon emissions (collection, transportation, storage, pre-processing, and preserving raw materials). Most current biomass technologies do not reduce these carbon emissions to satisfactory levels. Future technologies will therefore have to minimize biomas' carbon footprint to ensure a more environmentally friendly energy source.

[1] Source: ADEME, February 2009.
[2] Source: ADEME, February 2009.