BIOMASS FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROVISION SYSTEM: STATE OF TECHNOLOGY, POTENTIALS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS

摘要

The debate on the consequences of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect caused by the use of fossil energyrnsources and on actions to prevent them is ongoing worldwide. On this background, the aim of this paper is itrnto analyse the possibilities and restrictions of a wider biomass use worldwide. Therefore first the state ofrntechnology for the provision of biofuels respectively useful energy from biomass is presented on a worldwidernbasis. Then the already used biomass and the existing potentials for the provision of useful energy fromrnbiomass are analysed. Based on this the possibilities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by usingrnbiomass are discussed in detail. This investigation show that most of the biomass use worldwide is used forrnheating and cooking in households in developing countries. The provision of electrical energy fromrnbiomass is not very important on the worldwide level yet but strongly increasing especially in industrialisedrncountries. Without the current use of solid biomass about 5 to 6 % more CO_2-equivalent-emissions would bernemitted worldwide if the same useful energy would be provided by using fossil fuel energy. If additionallyrnthe currently unused potential of solid biomass would be used with the best available conversion technologyrnthe worldwide CO_2-equivalent-emissions could be reduced by up to 40 %. Therefore, biomass could make arnsignificant contribution to meet the Kyoto Protocol targets.