What are Biomass Fuels?
Bioenergy can be produced using a variety of materials that include wood, crops like corn and soy beans, and waste from consumer, municipal, industrial, and agricultural processes. Each of these materials are sources of fuels that can be burned to produce energy. Useable fuel can be extracted from these materials in a number of ways: Solid fuels: In the case of woody biomass (wood chips, construction waste, and other solid wood sources), the wood itself is burned to produce energy. This energy can not only be used for heat but can be used to generate electricity. Liquid fuels: In the case of some crop-based fuels like ethanol (corn) and bio-oil (soy), a liquid fuel is extracted from the crop or its wastes. Like solid fuels, this can be used to produce electricity as well as heat. Gas fuel: When organic material decomposes, its chemical structure breaks down and releases gases in the process. This not only happens in nature but in human-produced wastes such as those found in municipal l
