CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE

2.0

BIOMASS UNDERSTANDING

What is Biomass? Biomass Energy or biomass itself refers to plant-based fuels or animal where Biomass Energy was produced when the selected plant or animal residue going through a particular process to produce methane and ethanol (due to reaction microorganism). Biomass energy is derived from five quite distinct energy sources: garbage, wood, waste, landfill gases, and alcohol fuels. Most biomass still relies on incineration ie burning and to this end forest residue such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps, yard clippings, wood chips and garbage is often used.

Biomass nowadays tends to also include plant or animal matter used for the production of fibers or chemicals; it may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. Industrial scale biomass is now readily being grown from numerous types of plants sources, including sugarcane (bagasse), native grasses, miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, and a variety of tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil). The particular plant used is usually not important to the end products, but it does affect the processing of the actual raw material and often the types of technology used.

Wood energy is derived both from the direct use of harvested wood as a fuel and from wood waste streams. The largest source of energy from wood is pulping liquor or "black liquor," which is a waste product from the industrial processes of the pulp, paper and paperboard industry.

The advantage is that all surplus from agricultural and animal waste can be used as biomass energy (renewable energy). Fact, plants like corn and soybeans have the potential to generate biomass energy. United States develop this energy through

continuous research on corn and beans and from the research of biomass energy; it created a biofuels (ie ethanol gas, methanol, normally biodiesel and methane)

Malaysia actually has a potential to develop biomass energy because we have a lot of waste product, particularly from palm oil plant. If we look at the past, we used charcoal on iron when ironing our shirt where Mangrove wood used for charcoal fumes actually was biomass energy.

In India, they use cow feces as a source of fuel for cooking as a many cows in India (considered sacred and is not used for food) where cow feces was developed as an alternative energy source. Cow manure was stored in an underground tank to produce methane gas and result as fuel for cooking.

The biomass gasifier has become a vital source for clean and uninterrupted energy supply for villagers in Karnataka in southern India. Built under a UNDP project, the power plant converts wood and other agricultural residues into a combustible gas mixture and also enables farmers to cultivate through improved irrigation techniques. (Karyn Ostrom, 2008)

In Malaysia, biomass energy can be generated from rice husk, sugar cane waste, oil palm empty fruit bunch or wood residues. Hopefully, ongoing research will further develop this energy can contribute to the country's electrical energy source.

2.1

BIOMASS RESOURCES

Biomass is the material derived from plants that use sunlight to grow which include plant and animal material such as wood from forests, material left over from agricultural and forestry processes, and organic industrial, human and animal wastes. Biomass comes from a variety of sources which include:

i. ii. iii. iv.

Wood from natural forests and woodlands Forestry plantations Forestry residues Agricultural residues such as straw, stover, cane trash and green agricultural wastes

v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x.

Agro-industrial wastes, such as sugarcane bagasse and rice husk Animal wastes Industrial wastes, such as black liquor from paper manufacturing Sewage Municipal solid wastes (MSW) Food processing wastes

In nature, if biomass is left lying around on the ground it will break down over a long period of time, releasing carbon dioxide and its store of energy slowly. By burning biomass its store of energy is released quickly and often in a useful way. So converting biomass into useful energy imitates the natural processes but at a faster rate.

Biomass can be transformed into clean energy and/or fuels by a variety of technologies, ranging from conventional combustion process to emerging biofuels technology. Besides recovery of substantial energy, these technologies can lead to a substantial reduction in the overall waste quantities requiring final disposal, which

can be better managed for safe disposal in a controlled manner while meeting the pollution control standards.

Biomass waste-to-energy conversion reduces greenhouse gas emissions in two ways. Heat and electrical energy is generated which reduces the dependence on power plants based on fossil fuels. The greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced by preventing methane emissions from landfills. Moreover, biomass energy plants are highly efficient in harnessing the untapped sources of energy from biomass resources.

2.2

IMPORTANCE OF BIOMASS

Biomass is one of the alternatives of energy to supply efficient and renewable sources with high potential. Malaysia produces at least 168 million tonnes of biomass, including timber and oil palm waste, rice husks, coconut trunk fibers, municipal waste and sugar cane waste annually. Additionally it also does not pollute the environment as compared to the use of other energy sources that are low rates of pollution, as an example of biomass derived from agricultural waste materials will reduce the quantity of waste dumped.
In Malaysia, with the launch of the 1Malaysia Biomass Alternative Strategy

(1MBAS) Initiative on 22nd March 2012, by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, it will strengthen execution of the National Biomass Strategy and expand the strategy to other sources of the Malaysian biomass. The initiative aims to encourage more local and foreign companies to invest and establish partnerships in the biomass industry and accelerate the industrys growth. 1MBAS would focus on driving new sources of income generation, driving inclusiveness through job creation at all levels and enhance development of new industries through utilization of biomass. This will establish a new source of cutting edge, high-value industries and more skilled jobs for
Malaysians at once increase the wealth of this country by exploiting the biomass.

Furthermore, it can use it as source of cellulosic sugar from palm oil and make more biochemicals for chemical industry.

The use of biomass will greatly reduce the nations greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels emit vast quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere upon combustion, carbon that would ordinarily remain trapped underground. Biomass also releases carbon dioxide as it burns, but the plants need carbon dioxide to grow, thus creating a closed-carbon cycle. All the carbon dioxide released during the combustion of biomass materials is recaptured by the growth of these same materials. Unlike fossil fuels, with biomass combustion there is no net increase in carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. In addition, substantial quantities of carbon can be captured in the soil through biomass root structures, creating a net carbon sink. Therefore, further studies should be carried out because Malaysia has many resources biomass so that it continues to give benefit in various fields.

2.3

BIOMASS SITUATION IN ASEAN COUNTRIES The use of conventional energy like oil, coal and electricity has increased

enormously in the last 25 years in ASEAN economies. During the 1980s, consumption more than doubled, with an average annual growth rate of 7%. Less spectacular, and somewhat overshadowed by this conventional energy boom, consumption of biomass energy has also in-creased substantially over the same period. Biomass energy includes fuel wood, charcoal and agriculture residues used as fuel.

For the five ASEAN countries where biomass in an important energy source (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam), consumption increased n average 2% per year between 1985 and 1994, due mainly to population growth. Consumption is highest in Indonesia, accounting for more than half of the total consumption because of the large population, while the rate of increase is highest in Malaysia and Vietnam.

Despite this growth, the share of biomass energy in the total energy consumption has been decreasing for most countries, which often leads to the misconception that it is being substituted by modern energy and is phasing out. In reality, conventional energy is mostly used for new applications such as new
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industries, transport and household electricity, where as wood and the biomass continue to dominate in domestic activities such as cooking and in many traditional industries.

Only for Thailand, recent and regular national statistics on wood and regular national statistics on wood and other biomass energy consumption are available. Comparing these with population data, it appears that there is a strong correlation between population and biomass energy consumption between 1985 and 1995(0.99). By using population forecast, we can predict an increase of nearly 15% in biomass energy consumption by 2010 over that in 1995. As accurate data on supply source, both from forest and non-forest areas, are lacking it is difficult to assess if there will be enough supply available to meet future demand.

For the other four major biomass-using economies in ASEAN, similar or ever higher trends of increase in biomass energy consumption are forecast, considering their higher population growth and greater dependence on biomass energy (except Malaysia). Of course the above is only a simple modeling exercise, but it high- light the need for more accurate, regular and detailed data on consumption and production of biomass energy and its sources in order to asses trends, to develop forecasts and to formulate appropriate policies.

2.3.1 Utilisation and Sources in Asean Countries

Biomass fuels consist of both woody and non-woody biomass. The first come from trees and shrubs. The first come from crop residues and other vegetation. Both can be converted into charcoal. In ASEAN economies, important biomass fuels are wood and residues from coconut, rubber and oil palm trees, as well as sawdust, bagasse and husks and straw from rice plants. There are used in both traditional and modern application.

2.3.2 Utilisation of Biomass Fuels

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1. Domestic The domestic sector is the main user of biomass fuels, primarily for cooking and space heating. The main user groups are farmers and villagers, but daily wage earners, industrial workers and food vendors in cities all use biomass fuels to process agricultural products either for preservation or conversion into tradable commodities.

2. Industrial Numerous industries in ASEAN member countries rely n biomass fuels for process heat and drying of the final product. Many are small-scale and based on traditional technology. These industries usually purchase the fuel, but some also collect biomass fuels from free supply resources. The industries include : agricultural and food processing (like sugar, rubber and coconut processing, rice parboiling, fish and meat drying and smoking); metal processing and mineral based activities (brick marking, lime burning, ceramics and pottery, smiting, foundry and jewellery) ; and forest products and textile). Besides these industrial activities, services rely on biomass fuels (road tarring, soap making, tyre retreading, paper making, fishing net and boat making, food preparation and catering services). The current situation is not expected to change as long as the supply of biofuels is secure and their price remains competitive with commercial fuels like coal, gas and electricity. The consumption of biomass fuels may even increase with growth in population. Bio energy using industrial and other commercial activities are mainly found in rural areas, but also exist in township and even metropolitan cities like Bangkok, Jakarta and Manilla. Also, many households in large urban centre use biomass fuels, in particular charcoal. At present, many higher-income rural families, urban households and industrial enterprises are purchasing biomass fuels, especially wood and charcoal, to meet their energy needs.

3. Modern Applications More recently, modern bio energy has developed through adoption of technologies like cogeneration (generation of heat and power in wood and agrobased industries) and dendrothermal power plants (generation of electricities by burning woody biomass). Cogeneration is gaining increasing acceptance. Efficient,
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mature and proven biomass-based energy conversion technologies are available both within and outside the ASIAN region. Cogeneration of heat and power from residues in forest-based and agro industries is being increasingly promoted by the private sector, mostly for own use. Utility supply electricity and heat from biomass to national grids and local communities.

2.4

BIOMASS ENERGY IN SELECTED INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES

Several industrialized countries promote biomass energy, for both environmental and socio-economic reasons. These countries use locally available wood and biomass fuels as alternative to oil or coal, taking advantage of recently developed technologies, and thus avoid CO2 emissions and reduce their own dependency on oil. A few examples are given in following sub topic.

2.4.1 Sweden In Sweden, biomass and peat contribute about 12% of the total energy supply of around 1600 PJ/a. the main source is liquors from pulp mills, but wood fuels, municipal solid waste and pear are all used foe district heating, home heating and in the forest products industries itself. Biomass based district heating has increased more than fivefold in less than 20 years, from 5PJ in 1980 to 53 PJ today. F this, 27 PJ comes from wood fuels, 15 PJ from refuse and 11 PJ of bio fuels were used for electricity generation last year. Seventy buses are currently running on ethanol to demonstrate the potentials of liquid bio fuels.

2.4.2 Finland The situation in Finland is similar to that in Sweden, with as much as 30% of total energy supply coming from bio fuels, hydroelectricity and peat. Again, of the total of around 330 PJ/a being supplied by bio fuels, pulp waste liquors account for the largest proportion (45%), followed by peat (19%), wood waste
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(18%) and firewood (18%), with municipal waste less than 1%. Over 140 biomass-fuelled district heating system exist, varying in size from less than 1 to over 50 MW. One of the largest cogeneration plants is peat-fired and produces around 80MW of electricity and 120 MW of district heat. Whether peat is renewable and counts as biomass, or is close initial stages of the formation of coal and other fossil fuels, is a matter of debate. Finland has over 10 million ha of commercial peat reserves which should last for at least 200 years at the present rate of use, though renewal of the exploited land takes several thousand years. However, its is generally included along with wastes and residues, partly because it can be utilized with similar burners or grates. Three planting is another ongoing strategy to extend the energy potential of Finland.

2.4.3 Austria

In Australia, renewable energy sources supply 27% of the countries primary total energy consumption (PTEC) of 1, 143 PJ/a, with biomass providing 13%. F the biomass used, almost 98% is fuel wood, bark, wood chips and other forest industries by products. Most of these are used in over 530 000 small wood burning installation and 400 000 tiled stoves, as well as 63 000 larger furnaces and 200 district heating plants. The other 2% is made up from biogas plant, together with small scale use (0.4% or 0.6 PJ) of rapeseed methyl ester (RME), produced in six installations as a substitute for diesel fuels.

2.4.4 The European union In the European union, the amount of land set aside for rapeseed for fuel has expanded from 200 000 ha in 1992 to nearly one million ha in 1995. This was stimulated by the revised Common Agricultural Policy, with more direct payments to farmers in theory to compensate for lower prices. Vagaries in the weather in 1995 have resulted in a shortfall in cereals, higher prices, and an unexpected bonus to many farmers as well as suggestions that the set aside area should now be decreased. Bio energy research in Europe focuses on the production of liquid fuels from lignocelluloses materials, thermo chemical conversion as well as gasification linked to power generation.
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2.5

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT All energy sources have some impact on our environment. Fossil fuels

coal, oil, and natural gas do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by most measures, including air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions. It is still important, however, to understand the environmental impacts associated with producing power from renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower. The exact type and intensity of environmental impacts varies depending on the specific technology used, the geographic location, and a number of other factors. By understanding the current and potential environmental issues associated with each renewable energy source. As an example, we can takes steps to effectively avoid or minimize these impacts as they become a larger portion of our electric supply. Biomass power plants share some similarities with fossil fuel power plants: both involve the combustion of a feedstock to generate electricity. Thus, biomass plants raise similar, but not identical, concerns about air emissions and water use as fossil fuel plants. However, the feedstock of biomass plants can be sustainable produced, while fossil fuels are non-renewable. Sources of biomass resources for producing electricity are diverse; including energy crops (like switch grass), agricultural waste, manure, forest products and waste, and urban waste. Both the type of feedstock and the manner in which it is developed and harvested significantly affect land use and life-cycle global warming emissions impacts of producing power from biomass. Beneficial biomass resources include energy crops that do not compete with food crops for land, portions of crop residues such as wheat straw or corn stover, sustainably-harvested wood and forest residues, and clean municipal and industrial wastes. The use of organic waste products for biomass energy is especially
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beneficial. When organic waste is disposed of in a landfill, it decomposes and releases methane, a potent global warming gas. Thus, diverting these wastes for electricity production reduces landfill volume and reduces methane emissions.

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