Biomass Power Plants – Energy Source of the Future?

[longknife]

The article comes from Science Daily @ Small biomass power plants could help rural economies, stabilize national power grid -- ScienceDaily and presents some interesting possibilities. Of course, I wanted more details and went to my favorite source, Wikipedia to come up with this @ Biomass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And, expand them to more Third World countries, could this help more?

 

[ScienceRocks]

Part of it but I feel fusion will be the final energy source we will ever need

 

[Decus]

Paris, France (the City of Lights) has been generating electricity and heat from biomass (in this case municipal waste) since 1990 and derive some 50% of the city's energy needs at present from biomass. The technology is proven.

 

[whitehall]

Biomass? Like firewood? They don't want to burn millions of years of fossilized biomass but they think they can grow enough or shit enough to fuel a powerplant. Why does the left keep reinventing itself?

 

[SmedlyButler]

It is at best one of the transitional steps between nonrenewable or dangerous energy sources (e.g. nuclear) and more advanced technology. It has a lot of negatives, a lot of the same emission problems as fossil fuels, dangers of deforestation, etc.
Man has been using biomass since we harnessed fire maybe a million years ago. And anybody who loves to sit around a campfire or a warm stove can feel the ancestral connection. It really doesn't have a long term future though as a primary or even secondary source of energy for this planet's population.
Matthew mentioned fusion, that's the dream, a long way from reality right now. Solar is my favorite. New meta-materials, new panel tech, new energy storage systems are going to prove the scoffers wrong on this in the very near term, IMHO.
The sun is ultimately the source of all energy, solar may be the quickest route from A to B. There are numerous other ideas on the drawing boards as well. Even experiments in photo-synthesis as a mass energy source. I'm an optimist, we'll figure it out.

 

[elektra]

It is at best one of the transitional steps between nonrenewable or dangerous energy sources (e.g. nuclear) and more advanced technology. It has a lot of negatives, a lot of the same emission problems as fossil fuels, dangers of deforestation, etc.
Man has been using biomass since we harnessed fire maybe a million years ago. And anybody who loves to sit around a campfire or a warm stove can feel the ancestral connection. It really doesn't have a long term future though as a primary or even secondary source of energy for this planet's population.
Matthew mentioned fusion, that's the dream, a long way from reality right now. Solar is my favorite. New meta-materials, new panel tech, new energy storage systems are going to prove the scoffers wrong on this in the very near term, IMHO.
The sun is ultimately the source of all energy, solar may be the quickest route from A to B. There are numerous other ideas on the drawing boards as well. Even experiments in photo-synthesis as a mass energy source. I'm an optimist, we'll figure it out.

and to develop all these dreams, we must increase production of chemicals that only come from oil, thus your idea will deplete oil faster, further each technology you propose requires a constant supply of fossil fuels.

Only in dreams will Renewable Green Energy work, yet we have spent a trillion dollars trying to develop your dream and its failed.

Amount of money spent by the Government to develop Petroleum in the mid to late 1800's, almost zero.

 

[longknife]

This appears to go along with the idea of using biomass to fuel small generators.

Lagos aims to use trash to make electric power
March 12, 2014 - 7:34 AM
BY CARLEY PETESCH, Associated Press
0 0
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — At Lagos' largest dump, dozens of men gather to sort iron, plastic and nylon atop a 20-foot wall of garbage where hundreds of white herons compete to eat the spoils.

Lagos is engulfed in waste. With a population of more than 20 million, the city has garbage that piles up on streets, outside homes and along the waterways and lagoons, creating eyesores and putrid smells. The booming city also has major electricity shortages and many residents rely on diesel generators that cloud the air with black exhaust.

See more at: Lagos aims to use trash to make electric power | CNS News

 

[elektra]

This appears to go along with the idea of using biomass to fuel small generators.

Lagos aims to use trash to make electric power
March 12, 2014 - 7:34 AM
BY CARLEY PETESCH, Associated Press
0 0
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — At Lagos' largest dump, dozens of men gather to sort iron, plastic and nylon atop a 20-foot wall of garbage where hundreds of white herons compete to eat the spoils.

Lagos is engulfed in waste. With a population of more than 20 million, the city has garbage that piles up on streets, outside homes and along the waterways and lagoons, creating eyesores and putrid smells. The booming city also has major electricity shortages and many residents rely on diesel generators that cloud the air with black exhaust.

See more at: Lagos aims to use trash to make electric power | CNS News

Biomass Incineration, or as they used to be called, Incinerators, which if one searches recent history we will find that the Liberal/Democrat Environmentalist sued and won Lawsuits to prevent the construction of Incinerators.

Now "Green Energy" Scientist say Incinerators are okay and nobody sees the hypocrisy?

 

[flacaltenn]

Biomass is simple and viable.. But certifying it GREEN and PROMOTING it is
just crazy.. If you can burn wood chips and brush and garbage CLEANLY ---

there would be no issues with burning coal..

Sierra Club Conservation Policies - Biomass Guidance

Combustion for energy production is responsible for much of the world's air pollution and, indirectly through deposition, much of its water and land pollution as well. These pollutants, including smog, acid rain, and persistent bioaccumulative toxics, threaten human health and the global ecosystem. All fossil fuels and most biomass technologies aggravate global warming by producing CO2. Unless very carefully managed, biomass operations may not be sustainable and may add to the CO2 problem because of damage to soil health or failure to assure sustainable regrowth of the fuel stock. Biomass is in principle renewable, but native soils hold substantial carbon, mostly in root mass, and while it is possible to preserve soil carbon balances, conventional agricultural practices rarely do so


Biomass Incineration | Energy Justice Network

"Green" biomass (like energy crops) is often a foot in the door for more toxic waste streams. Plants that start off burning "clean wood chips" can easily turn to burning more contaminated fuels (which may be cheaper or even free), or get paid to take really dirty wastes like trash or tires. Economic pressures encourage use of these dirtier fuels.


http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/1806207/uk-biomass-industry-incinerators

Plans for a huge increase in waste-to-energy plants across the UK are at risk of being "derailed" as a result of protests from green groups campaigning against local waste incinerators.

That is the stark warning from David Williams, chief executive of renewable energy specialist Eco2 and chairman of the Biomass Sub Group on the government's Renewable Advisory Board.

Speaking to BusinessGreen.com, Williams said that groups such as Friends of the Earth were seeking to stir up public opposition to waste-to-energy facilities at a time when the government has just signalled its support for the technology as part of its new renewable energy strategy.

"Every few years the government puts forward a renewables strategy including incineration, only for groups like Friends of the Earth to campaign against it, " he said. "Every time the government has backed down and there is always a chance it could happen again."

His comments came as Friends of the Earth last week joined with campaign group the UK Without Incineration Network (UK WIN) to release a map showing that over 100 waste incinerators are currently being planned across the UK.

Michael Warhurst, senior resource use campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said that the planned incinerators would lead to high levels of pollution for local communities and result in millions of tonnes of recyclable material being wasted.

Europe is full of pissed-off greenies who were misled and lied to about the Green-ness of BioMass. And they found out way too late, that this was just another name for garbage incineration....