Application of Biomass as a Remedy for GHG Emissions

摘要

Biomass is considered by many as "the fuel of the future". Indeed, this renewable energy source is nearly CO_2 neutral, which implies a 93 percent reduction in net CO_2 emissions achieved by switching from coal to biomass and an 84 percent reduction by switching from natural gas-fired cogeneration. However, detailed mechanisms involved in the evolution of biomass during combustion are still unknown. This paper discusses new knowledge of the behavior of biomass during combustion. It provides new data on the fundamental mechanisms responsible for biomass conversion and rearrangement of metals, while showing advantages towards GHG emissions. Tomorrow's biomass power industry in Canada could install, by 2020, as many as 25,000 MW of electric power plants operating on reliable and renewable biomass. This would support almost 180,000 jobs, an increase of 130,000 from the current 50,000, and would substantially revitalize rural economies (e.g., farmers in Saskatchewan could designate parts of the land for energy crops, which could help solve some of their ongoing problems). Such industry would generate reliable base-load electric power without contributing to climate change. Thus, the major incentives for the use of biomass for energy generation are both economical and environmental.