Why Biomass?

Benefits of Biomass for Heat, Fuel and Chemicals

Biomass is a vast renewable source of energy, which still remains relatively untapped. Through combustion and gasification, this plant material can be converted to heat, fuel, and chemicals.

Rarely does a single solution satisfy all interests. While everyone appreciates favorable economics and improved national energy security, often solutions that meet those needs are in conflict with sustainable and environmental considerations. Frontline’s approach to biomass utilization uniquely addresses all these interests.

Carbon Neutrality

As plants and trees grow, water and carbon dioxide are taken in from the atmosphere and converted to cell structure through photosynthesis. Thus, biomass is a form of stored solar energy. When the energy stored in biomass is converted to heat or fuels through gasification or combustion, the carbon dioxide is released again to the atmosphere. While a minor amount of fossil fuel is needed to produce and transport biomass, its net carbon balance is close to zero since the carbon dioxide emitted during processing was absorbed by the plant during growth. Thus, green house gas emissions from biomass fuels are minimized. In contrast, conversion of fossil fuels release ancient carbon that was securely stored underground either as coal, methane, or oil. Generally, natural gas emits 10 times the CO2 that biomass does and coal produces twice as much as natural gas!

Use of biomass also provides unique opportunities to divert waste streams. Many processes in the wood and paper industries produce a by-product that could be utilized through gasification or combustion. Additionally, there are significant agricultural residues that remain in the field after harvest. Millions of tons of corn stover are simply plowed back into the soil every year. While about half the corn stover should remain in the field for soil preservation, overabundance of plant fiber actually increases tilling and fertilization requirements. If allowed to decompose naturally in the field, such crop residue releases comparable amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as combustion or gasification, but without capturing energy value. Other feedstocks that can be utilized include processed municipal solid waste and manure.

Sustainability

Actions can be taken that improve economics, national energy security, and even the environment that aren’t sustainable in the long term. Frontline’s approach of returning the gasification by-products of minerals and carbon back to the field helps maintain soil quality year after year. Frontline is committed to establishing biomass collection “best practices” that will result in soil preservation or improved soil fertility. When managed correctly, renewable biomass resources can be utilized while improving the soil, establishing the forest, and reducing the addition of chemicals and fertilizers.

Economic Benefits

Biomass is an economical resource local resource that reduces energy costs and keeps energy dollars in the local economy. The high price and price volatility of today’s natural gas and oil supplies are giving great concern to industrial facilities such as ethanol plants, and food and wood processors. Biomass provides an alternative with economic advantages in many locations.

This chart shows economic comparisons of natural gas, coal, and wood systems at an industrial facility requiring 200MMBtu/hr of thermal energy.  An example of such a facility might be a 50 million gallon per year ethanol plant. Costs of equipment capital are shown in blue, feedstock costs in red and auxiliary natural gas costs in yellow.

As most available biomass is located on farms or wooded areas, income from the sale of collected biomass would enter the rural economy. Sales of agricultural residues like wheat straw and corn stover would serve as a second crop with little additional costs for field maintenance. This income will, in turn, bolster the shops, banks, and food merchants in the small towns. Meanwhile collection and handling of the biomass, as well as installing and operating gasifier systems will bring additional jobs into the rural community. An article in BusinessWeek based on conservative estimates describes such potential economic value in a given year:

“Suppose the U.S. were to reduce imports of oil and oil byproducts by 20% and replace that with homegrown biofuels: In the course of one year – assuming prices average about $50 per barrel – farm communities and other biofuel players would reap some $50 billion that, in the past, would have flowed to foreign oil producers,” BusinessWeek, Nov.13, 2006.

National Fuel Indpendence

According to a report by the United States Departments of Agriculture and Energy, our nation has the potential to produce 1.4 billion tons of biomass per year by the middle of this century. This renewable resource could theoretically be converted into 70 to 100 billion gallons/year of ethanol or other transportation fuels, easily displacing all gasoline currently derived from oil imports. Removing such import demand would reduce the need for military protection of foreign sources of petroleum. Our energy, and therefore, our economy will be less dependent on the whims of unstable political organizations and the competing energy demands of developing countries.

Producing heat and fuels through biomass gasification offers environmental advantages, sustainable agronomy, economic benefits to industry and rural communities, and enhances national energy security. Frontline BioEnergy’s approach to biomass gasification balances all these important needs.

Continue reading about the advantages of biomass gasification.