Energy from biomass and wastes: 1982 update

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6125307

Klass, D L

Although federal support of research to develop energy from biomass and wastes continued to decrease in 1982, other sources of funding are taking up some of the slack. The contribution of energy from biomass and wastes to US primary energy consumption has increased to about 2.7 quads or 3.5% of total consumption and is projected to grow to about 3.5 quads by 1985. A reassessment of future climatic changes because of the greenhouse effect has not found any new results that require revision of the first assessment conducted in 1979. It is therefore apropos to begin to incorporate methodologies into world energy and biomass management that take this effect into account before any adverse changes begin to occur. Extensive research programs have continued on biomass production for energy applications and on the gasification and liquefaction of biomass and wastes for fuels, energy, and chemicals. Commercialization of this technology appears to be increasing at a higher rate, particularly for combustion of wood, wood wastes, and municipal solid wastes for heat, steam, and electric production; anaerobic digestion of industrial wastes for combined waste disposal and methane production; and use of fermentation ethanol as a motor fuel. Ethanol-fuel usage more than doubled in 1982 in the United States as compared to 1981, and plant capacity is expanding rapidly. Methanol has not yet begun to compete with ethanol because of federal limitations on the concentration of methanol in blends with gasoline. Relaxation of these requirements and passage of tax-forgiveness laws for methanol now enjoyed by ethanol could provide the incentives to make methanol the dominant fuel for vehicles in the long term.

• Research Organization: Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6125307
• Report Number(s): CONF-830114-7; ON: DE83902577
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation-- Other-- (-1989)
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
ALCOHOLS
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
COMMERCIALIZATION
DIGESTION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FERMENTATION
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIQUEFACTION
MANAGEMENT
METHANE
METHANOL
MUNICIPAL WASTES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
REVIEWS
SOLID WASTES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WOOD
WOOD WASTES