The use of biomass waste

Generation of electrical energy, fuels, and heat from biomass, mainly using agricultural residues, plants, and woods.

The concept of waste for entities is everything that can add value, generating a new productive chain, unlike garbage which are residues that have no added value.

Currently, renewable resources account for 20% of the planet's energy supply, with 14% obtained from biomass and 6% from water sources. In Brazil, approximately 35% of the consumed energy comes from water sources and 25% from biomass, representing almost 2/3 of Brazilian electrical consumption.

Researchers estimate that if a third of the available waste were recovered, it would be possible to produce enough energy to supply 10% of global electrical consumption, or with a program where planting was done specifically for this activity, using an area of 100 million hectares, it would be enough to meet 30% of global consumption.

In Brazil, the energy needs met by biomass are in the form of firewood, burned in bakeries and ceramics, charcoal used in steel furnaces and cement factories. In the south of the country, mineral coal and alcohol are used in the chemical industry, and sugarcane bagasse is used for steam generation for electricity production.

The use of biomass for the production of electrical energy or steam in boilers and furnaces is already a reality in Brazil. Its use presents some advantages compared to petroleum-based fuels, such as: low acquisition cost, does not emit sulfur dioxide, ashes are less polluting, causes less corrosion in equipment, has lower environmental risk, are renewable resources, and emissions do not contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Learn more about energy generation from biomass: