What are the factors contributing to a good biomass resource?
A good biomass resource has the following characteristics: • Available in large quantity to assure long-term sustainability • Low moisture content • Dense • Small size, able to flow well • Low ash content • Low/no cost, not subject to large price swings • Available locally, not requiring shipment long distances • Non-toxic, able to be handled by humans As a rule-of-thumb, woody types of biomass are good fuel. These include wood chips, manufactured pellets, and many kinds of nutshells. Some of the paper products are also good. Light, low-density fuels such as grasses; fuels with high silicon content such as rice husks; and fuels with high moisture content such as bagasse are currently not target fuels for the BioMax.
