Bioenergy is renewable energy derived from organic biomass sources such as trees, crops, agricultural and aquaculture waste, or municipal solid waste. Biomass can be used to create a wide array of energy products including electricity, heat, wood pellets, liquid fuels like ethanol and biodiesel, biogas and hydrogen. Click here for the most recent Bioenergy Factsheet.
Where is it?
In British Columbia, biomass resources can be found in virtually every region of the province. The most abundant and readily available source of biomass is the wood residue left over from forestry operations as well as the timber affected by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.
There are a number of bioenergy facilities in operation throughout the province, many of them being “cogeneration” plants that create electricity and heat for on-site use and in some cases sell surplus electricity to BC Hydro. There are also several wood pellet production facilities, and other bioenergy production and research sites across the province.
Benefits of Bioenergy:
- Bioenergy is considered to be carbon neutral
- By using plant matter before it decays, bioenergy actually decreases the amount of methane produced, a potent greenhouse gas;
- Bioenergy has a positive impact on the local economy;
- Local jobs are created as more labour is needed to handle biomass fuels compared to other renewable resources;
- Biomass materials are often waste products from existing industrial activities that would otherwise be disposed of, often at considerable environmental and economic cost;
- Land that can’t be used for food production can be used to grow biomass for energy, often preventing land erosion, holding rainfall for better flood control and providing foliage for organic matter which increases nutrients in the soil.
Varieties of Biofuels:
Globally, biofuels are most commonly used to power transportation vehicles and heat homes. There are several types of biofuels:
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel source that can significantly reduce or eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions. It is made from feedstocks such as soy or canola oil, waste cooking oil or animal fat.
Biodiesel can be used in virtually any diesel engine and can improve engine performance by reducing wear and extending engine life. Biodiesel may be used on its own or blended with petroleum fuel to reduce vehicle emissions. Biodiesel can be used in bus and truck fleets, heavy equipment, diesel cars and boats, and electric generators.
Ethanol
A renewable fuel, ethanol is an alternative or additive to gasoline. It is easy to manufacture and process. Ethanol is commonly used to power automobiles, though it can be used to power other modes of transportation such as farm equipment or airplanes. Ethanol is derived from common crops such as sugar cane and corn, and new technologies are being developed to produce ethanol from agricultural fibre, wood residue and other biomass resources.
Methanol
Methanol is used for internal combustion and other engines, mainly in combination with gasoline. It is produced using methane, the principal component of natural gas. Using methanol as a fuel in spark ignition engines may offer increased thermal efficiency and power output, hence why methanol is used in race cars.
Butanol
Butanol can be used as a fuel for an internal combustion engine, often without any modification from gasoline-run engines. It can be produced from biomass as well as fossil fuels, but reduces greenhouse gas emissions when created from feedstocks such as corn, grain, wheat and sugar cane.
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