Biomass Energy Conversion

What is biomass energy conversion? Biomass is organic, meaning it comes from living organisms like plants and animals. In biomass energy conversion, the common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste – called biomass feedstocks.  While we often think of biomass energy as the conversion of a biomass into a fuel that can be burned in some engine, this is certainly not the sole use.  The feedstock can also be converted into heat or steam that turns a turbine and thus allowing for the generation of electricity.  It is fair to say that biomass energy conversation is transforming the feedstocks into some usable energy by either burning it to create heat, converting it into electricity, or processing it into biofuels.  These common denominator is that all these conversions transform the biomass into some usable form of bioenergy or biomass power.

Starchy biomass can be any number of agricultural crops, including cassava, corn, grain sorghum (milo), sugar beets, sugar cane, or other starchy crops.  Agricultural crop biomass is the stalk, pod, shell, or other parts of crops, used to produce any number of food and feed crops.  Woody biomass includes any plant with a woody stalk.  Trees are the primary source of woody biomass.  This is often trees grown for timber.  These trees can be chipped, transported, and stored by conventional methods, or they can also be combusted, gasified, or pyrolized in available systems to produce heat and/or steam to generate heat and/or power or syngas for use in biochemical  or chemical synthesis.  Today rapid growth hybrids such as poplar and willow have been developed and are grown specifically for harvest and use in biomass power applications.  In addition, trees that have died as the result of drought or disease can also be harvested and used.  The use of wood pellets to heat homes and businesses has seen substantial growth, particularly in Europe, as a means us using more renewable energy.

Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms certainly have experts in biofuels and renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, biotechnologies, and feedstocks, like agricultural waste, algae, biochar, biogas, co2, construction waste, cooking oils, energy crops, fermentation waste, forest products, glycerin, hemp, lignin, municipal solid waste (MSW), palm waste, railroad ties, sludge, solid recovered fuels and wood waste.

Lee Enterprises Consulting is the world’s premier bioeconomy consulting group, with over 150 highly qualified experts serving in all these areas.  Look at our experts and the services we provide.  Most of our experts are also available to advise and serve as expert witnesses in bioeconomy litigation matters.  For the larger projects, we specialize in putting together full service, interdisciplinary teams with one point of contact.  See video about LEC here.  Call us at 1+ (501) 833-8511 or email us for more information.