[ Bioenergy ]
[ Bioenergy ]
ing industry for stainless steel
Biomass is an important , if controversial , source of energy , which first rose to prominence in ethanol facilities and has been growing ever since . The industry makes perfect sense as part of the circular economy and provides plentiful opportunities for stainless steel suppliers .
By James Chater
Outlook Amid all the publicity surrounding wind and solar energy , it is easy to forget that bioenergy ( the generation of energy from biomass ) accounts for about 55 % of all renewable energy , or roughly one-tenth of the world ’ s primary energy supply . The IEA foresees a rapid increase in the use of bioenergy to displace fossil fuels , and demand is rising by about 6 % or 7 % a year ( 1 ) . This upward trend is supported by generous subsidies in the USA and many European countries .
Biomass Biomass is organic matter used as feedstock in bioenergy facilities . The earliest form of industrial bioenergy was mostly ethanol , a corrosive alcohol used , among other things , as motor fuel . It is made from corn , yeast , sweet sorghum or sugar cane using a fermentation process . With the passing of time , more feedstocks and more products were developed . Forest and agricultural residues , crops , straw , waste , sewage , landfill gas and algae ( see box ) were used to create new products such as liquid biofuels ( especially biodiesel ) and biomethane ( biogas ). Biofuels are especially important in aviation , and biomass-fired power plants fuelled by organic matter such as waste , often in combination with natural gas or coal , have become increasingly popular . Many fossil-fuel power stations have been converted to biomass . Most biomass power plants feature cogeneration ( combined heat and power , or CHP ) for district heating , making them more efficient . A case in point is the Fortum Värtaverket KVV8 CHP plant in Stockholm , which has been operating since 2016 using advanced technology supplied by Andritz ( boilers , automation etc .) and actuators from Auma . It runs on forest residues but can switch to coal , and supplies heat to 190,000 households .
A bioethanol plant in Rotterdam , the Netherlands .