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So what exactly is "bioenergy", "biofuel", "biogas" and
"biomass"? Here are some pointers to help:
* "Bioenergy" is energy -- be it heat or fuel -- derived from
biological material -- or "biomass" -- such as waste wood, crop plant
residue, plant oils, animal fat, manure and other biodegradable matter.
Household waste, to a certain extent, can also be considered as biomass.
* Why bioenergy? Because it's considered more environmentally friendly
and sustainable. Its production and use puts out less pollution than
that of fossil fuels, and it works by recycling replenishable resources
that would otherwise become waste.
* The simplest way to get energy from biomass is by burning it, with
the resulting heat used directly for warming, or to make steam for
generating electricity. Household waste incinerators also work this
way. Further technology is applied to ensure as much heat as possible
is usable, and as little pollution as possible is created.
* The further need to produce a more efficient and storable form of
energy takes us from raw heat to the next step of "biofuel", which
includes "biogas", "biodiesel", and alcohols from biomass.
* A "biogas" plant works on the natural decomposing of biomass into
combustible methane gas, adding technology to better the process. Think
of it as a giant virtual cow, eating greens and passing gas. The gas is
then burned for heat or generating electricity; any remaining waste is
used for fertilizer. Biogas plants can also be employed on waste
landfills.
* "Biodiesel" is derived from specially cultivated oil-producing plants
-- such as rapeseed, oil palm, and jatropha -- as well as animal fat
and used cooking oil. Ethanol, meanwhile, can be extracted from
sugarcane and other starch-producing crops like cassava. These biofuels
can then be blended with regular diesel and gasoline respectively. The
latest development in biofuels is "biomass-to-liquid" (BTL), using the
Fischer-Tropsch chemical process to produce liquid fuel directly from
biomass.
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