Biomass for energy: Supply prospects
- King`s Coll., London (United Kingdom)
- Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Biomass for energy can be obtained from residues of ongoing agricultural and forest-product industries, from harvesting forests, and from dedicated plantations. The harvesting of forests for biomass is likely to be limited by environmental concerns. Over the next couple of decades new bioenergy industries will be launched primarily using residues as feedstocks. Subsequently, the industrial base will shift to plantations, the largest potential source of biomass. The most promising sites for plantations are deforested and otherwise degraded lands in developing countries and excess croplands in the industrialized countries. Revenues from the sale of biomass crops grown on plantations established on degraded lands can help finance the restoration of these lands. Establishing plantations on excess croplands can be a new livelihood to farmers who might otherwise abandon their land because of foodcrop overproduction. In either case, biomass plantations can, with careful planning, substantially improve these lands ecologically relative to their present uses. But a substantial and sustained research and development effort is needed to ensure the realization and sustainability of high yields under a wide range of growing conditions. Moreover, the establishment and maintenance of biomass plantations must be carried out in the framework of sustainable economic development in ways that are acceptable and beneficial to the local people. Ultimately, land and water resource constraints will limit the contributions that biomass can make as an energy source in advanced societies. But biomass energy can nevertheless make major contributions to sustainable development before these limits are reached, if biomass is grown productively and sustainably and is efficiently converted to modern energy carriers that are used in energy-efficient end-use technologies. 88 refs., 5 figs., 13 tabs.
- OSTI ID:
- 142302
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Renewable energy: Sources for fuels and electricity; Johansson, T.B.; Kelly, H.; Reddy, A.K.N.; Williams, R.H. [eds.]; PB: 1177 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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29 ENERGY PLANNING AND POLICY
BIOMASS
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
FOREST LITTER
PRODUCTIVITY
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
INFORMATION NEEDS
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
WATER REQUIREMENTS
NUTRIENTS
CARBON DIOXIDE
MANURES
PERFORMANCE
ECONOMICS