What Are Biomass Companies?

Table of Contents

What is Biomass?

Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals. It contains stored energy from the sun. Biomass is a renewable energy source because plants and animals can be replenished relatively quickly compared to fossil fuels (National Geographic, 2022).

Biomass can be grouped into the following types:

Wood and wood processing wastes – sawdust, timber slash, wood chips, bark, lumber mill scrap

Agricultural crops and waste materials – corn, soybeans, sugar cane, switchgrass, wheat, algae
Food, yard, and wood waste – municipal solid waste, landfill gas, gas from sewage treatment
Animal manure and human sewage

Some common examples of biomass include wood, crops, manure, and some garbage. Anything that is or was living can be a source of biomass energy (EIA, 2022).

How Biomass Energy Works

Biomass energy works by harnessing the stored chemical energy in organic materials and converting it into useful forms of energy like heat, electricity, and fuel. There are several methods used to convert biomass into energy:

Combustion – Biomass is burned directly to produce heat and generate steam which can be used to drive turbines for electricity generation. The combustion of solid biomass like wood and agricultural residues is the most common and oldest use of biomass energy.

Gasification – Biomass is heated with a controlled amount of oxygen to produce a combustible gas mixture called syngas. This gas can be cleaned and burned for heat and power generation. Gasification allows more efficient conversion of biomass to electricity compared to direct combustion.

Pyrolysis – Biomass is heated in the absence of oxygen to produce bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. The bio-oil and syngas can be used to generate renewable heat, power, fuels, and chemicals. Pyrolysis enables very high efficiency conversion of biomass into liquid fuels.

Anaerobic digestion – Bacteria break down biomass in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas containing methane and carbon dioxide. This biogas can be burned directly for cooking/heating or used to generate electricity. Wet organic waste materials like animal manure are commonly used for anaerobic digestion.

In addition to these core conversion processes, technologies like fermentation and transesterification are used to produce biofuels like ethanol, biodiesel, and methanol from biomass feedstocks. The goal of all biomass energy conversion systems is to extract usable energy from biomass resources in an efficient and sustainable manner.

Benefits of Biomass Energy

Biomass energy offers several key benefits that make it an attractive renewable energy source:

Renewable and Sustainable – Biomass is considered a renewable energy source because the feedstocks can be continuously replenished. As long as plants are harvested sustainably, biomass supplies will not run out. This provides energy security and reduces dependence on finite fossil fuel reserves.

Reduces Fossil Fuel Reliance – Using biomass energy decreases reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas. Since biomass can often be used in the same facilities designed for fossil fuels, it can directly replace them as an energy source. This reduces the environmental impacts of extracting and burning fossil fuels.

Lowers Carbon Emissions – Biomass is considered a carbon neutral energy source. This is because the carbon released when biomass is burned is recycled back into plants through photosynthesis. The plants absorb carbon dioxide when growing and release it when burned, creating a closed loop. Therefore, biomass does not contribute any new carbon to the atmosphere.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “The use of biomass energy has the potential to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”^[1]

[1] https://www.nrel.gov/research/re-biomass.html

Challenges of Biomass Energy

While biomass offers many benefits as a renewable energy source, there are some key challenges involved with using biomass for energy production:

Biomass energy can be expensive compared to fossil fuels. The costs of harvesting, collecting, drying, and transporting biomass feedstocks can make the overall process costly.[1]

Transportation and storage of biomass can be difficult. Biomass has a low energy density compared to fossil fuels, so transporting and storing large quantities is not as efficient.[2]

Supplies of biomass feedstocks may be limited in some regions. Sustainable biomass supplies need to be confirmed, or else over-harvesting could occur.[3]

Major Biomass Companies

Some of the leading biomass companies operating globally include:

Renewable Energy Group – Based in the United States, this is one of the largest biomass-based diesel producers in North America. The company has a production capacity of over 500 million gallons annually across facilities in Texas, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, Louisiana, and Ontario, Canada. Renewable Energy Group uses technologies like hydrotreating and utilizes feedstocks such as waste oils, fats, greases and soybean oil (Source).

Drax Group – Headquartered in the UK, Drax operates the largest biomass power station in the world at its site in North Yorkshire. The company imports and processes biomass from sustainable sources like forest residues and converts it into renewable power for over 4 million households. Drax also provides other energy solutions and carbon reduction services (Source).

Enviva – This US-based company is the world’s largest producer of sustainable wood pellets, manufacturing over 5 million metric tons annually from sources like sawmill residuals and forest thinnings. Enviva operates 7 plants across the Southeastern US and exports wood pellets to power generators in Europe and Asia seeking renewable alternatives (Source).

Biomass Conversion Technologies

There are several ways to convert biomass into useful energy forms like fuels, electricity, heat, and products. The main biomass conversion technologies include:

Combustion

Combustion is the most common and well-known thermal conversion process. It involves burning biomass directly to produce heat and electricity. The heat generated can be used for heating applications or to power turbines to generate electricity. Combustion is simple, widely used, and a mature conversion technology, but it is not very efficient.¹

Gasification

Gasification converts biomass into a combustible gas mixture by applying heat in an oxygen-starved environment. The resulting “syngas” can be used to generate electricity via gas turbines. Gasification offers greater efficiency than direct combustion. It is a versatile process that can also produce fuels, chemicals, and fertilizers.²

Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis rapidly heats biomass without oxygen to produce charcoal, oils, and gases. Controlling the temperature and heating rate allows optimizing the product yields. The pyrolysis oil can be refined into transportation fuels. Pyrolysis offers high efficiency and flexible end products.³

Anaerobic Digestion

Anaerobic digestion uses microorganisms to break down biomass in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas containing methane and carbon dioxide. The biogas can be used for heating, electricity generation, or transportation fuel. Anaerobic digestion is commonly used for processing high-moisture biomass waste and manure.¹

Feedstocks for Biomass Energy

Biomass feedstocks are plant and animal based materials that are used for energy production. The main categories of biomass feedstocks include:

Wood and Agricultural Residues

Wood residues from forest management, wood processing, and urban wood waste like tree trimmings and pallets can be used as biomass feedstocks. Agricultural residues like corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, orchard prunings, and crop straws are other examples of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks [1].

Energy Crops

Plants like switchgrass, miscanthus, willow, and poplar trees can be grown specifically as energy crops for biomass production. These plants offer high biomass yields with low inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and water [1].

Organic Waste Streams

Organic municipal solid waste like food waste, yard trimmings, fats/grease, and wastewater biosolids can be converted into useful energy through biomass technologies. These waste feedstocks provide environmental benefits through waste reduction and utilization [2].

Biomass Energy Applications

Biomass is used in a variety of applications including electricity generation, transportation fuels, and heating and cooling systems.

For electricity generation, biomass materials like wood, agricultural residues, and organic municipal solid waste are commonly used. These feedstocks are burned to heat water, creating steam that spins turbines to generate electricity. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, biomass accounted for about 11% of total renewable electricity generation in 2021.

Biomass can also be converted into liquid transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol is made by fermenting sugars from crops like corn or sugarcane. Biodiesel is produced by combining oils like soybean oil or animal fats with alcohol. These biofuels can then be blended with gasoline and diesel for use in vehicles.

Biomass is also utilized for heating and cooling applications. Wood pellets, chips, and logs can fuel boilers and furnaces to provide heat for homes, businesses, and industrial processes. In addition, biogas produced from landfills and wastewater treatment can be used in combined heat and power systems that provide both heat and electricity.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, biomass accounted for about 5% of total U.S. primary energy consumption in 2020. With continued technology advances, biomass usage for energy is expected to increase going forward.

Global Biomass Energy Market

The global biomass energy market was valued at $134.76 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around $210.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2023 to 2030 (Source). Key factors driving market growth include rising electricity demand, favorable government policies, and the transition toward renewable energy sources.

Europe accounted for the largest share of the global biomass energy market in 2022. The region is expected to continue dominating the market during the forecast period. The growth in Europe is attributed to supportive government regulations, initiatives, and mandates to increase the share of renewable energy (Source).

Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing regional market for biomass energy. Countries such as China, India, and Japan are investing heavily in biomass projects to meet rising energy demands and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. North America is another major regional market due to increasing use of biomass for power generation and heating applications (Source).

Future of Biomass Energy

Biomass energy is projected to continue growing as an important renewable energy source. According to a GreenBiz report, biomass is expected to account for 50% of renewable energy in the European Union by 2030. Key areas of innovation and growth include advanced biofuels, biopower and bioproducts. There is also increasing research into algae-based biofuels.

Biomass has a vital role to play in the global renewable energy transition away from fossil fuels. It provides a dispatchable and flexible energy source that can help balance variable renewables like solar and wind. Biomass will be an important element in many countries’ strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet climate goals.

However, sustainability considerations are crucial for the future growth of biomass. There are concerns about impacts on land use, biodiversity and carbon emissions. Establishing robust sustainability criteria and certification schemes will be important to ensure biomass delivers genuine climate benefits. Overall, biomass is projected to continue growing if managed responsibly and integrated effectively into renewable energy systems.