Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine

Biomass Production Peer Review Journals

Biomass is plant or material used for energy production (electricity or heat), or in various industrial processes as raw substance for a variety of products. It are often purposely grown energy crops (e.g. miscanthus, switchgrass), wood or forest residues, waste from food crops (wheat straw, bagasse), horticulture (yard waste), food processing (corn cobs), animal farming (manure, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus), or body waste from sewage plants. Burning plant-derived biomass releases CO2, but it is still been classified as a renewable energy source within the EU and UN legal frameworks because photosynthesis cycles the CO2 back to new crops. In some cases, this recycling of CO2 from plants to atmosphere and back to plants can even be CO2 negative, as a comparatively large portion of the CO2 is moved to the soil during each cycle. Cofiring with biomass has increased in coal power plants, because it makes it possible to release less CO2 without the value related to building new infrastructure. Co-firing isn't without issues however; often an upgrade of the biomass is most beneficial. Upgrading to higher grade fuels are often achieved by different methods, broadly classified as thermal, chemical, or biochemical. Wood and residues from wood, for instance spruce, birch, eucalyptus, willow, oil palm, remains the largest biomass energy source today.     

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