Energy Sources: Bioenergies
Burning wood in a fireplace is the oldest and most traditional method of using biomass for energy purposes.
Biomass or biorenewable sources are organic materials of recent biological origin – therefore quickly convertible – that can be used as an energy source.
Today, biomass of agricultural, forestry and livestock origin is used along with waste to extract energy, providing heat for buildings and industrial processes, fuel for transport, and generating electricity.
Direct combustion is the most practiced method to generate steam and drive the turbines. But there are other more sophisticated methods to create biogas (anaerobic digestion), bioethanol (alcohol fermentation) and biodiesel (oilseed pressing).
Although most of the biomass used for heating or power generation consists of wood fuel, the use of liquid and gaseous biofuels has grown considerably in recent years, including biomethane, which can be injected into gas pipelines or used for transport purposes.
- BP, Statistical Review of World Energy 2022;
- IEA (International Energy Agency), World Energy Balances 2022 • World Energy Outlook 2022;
- IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), Renewable Capacity Statistics 2022 • Renewable Energy Statistics 2022 [Last accessed 30 January 2023];
- World Bioenergy Association, Global Bioenergy Statistics 2022;
- World Energy Council, World Energy Resources
