Before individuals can fully understand Biomass pros and cons, they should be familiar with what biomass really means. Biomass is defined as organic material that resulted from plants and animals. The primary component defining this organic material is carbon. When this component is combined with nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, an alternative source of power is created. With the fear of climate change which is considered as consequence of burning fossil fuel, individuals start to look for other sources of energy which is less harmful and Biomass is one of these sources.
Biomass Pros
1. Biomass is a renewable energy source, meaning this cannot be drained like the fossil fuel. Plants can be grown again giving individuals excellent and reliable resource. Fossil fuel is not environment-friendly and poses negative impact on energy security and independence forcing individuals to go for costly import of foreign fuel. If individuals were to replace fossil fuel with biomass, they can expect for surprising environmental benefits. Biomass also improves energy independence and security.
2. Biomass production is also attributed to waste. It is a given reality that quantity of waste is rapidly increasing worldwide. If this waste will be converted to useful energy source, there will be less pollution. Immense economic benefits are also expected. Sustainable production of Biomass also leads to significant reduction of emissions of greenhouse gas.
3. Biomass technologies have become popular and widespread. This is proven safe and effective and provides instant results that other energy sources cannot offer. Biomass got several sources that can be found in different countries all over the world. Biomass is more productive energy renewable source as compared to solar or wind power.
Biomass Cons
1. Unsustainable production of biomass can result to deforestation and more emissions of greenhouse gas since woods are still the primary source of this renewable energy source.
2. Increased production of Biomass would lead to larger land requirements resulting to fuel vs. food debate. There will be less land left for growing food crops and this can result to food price hike and worldwide hunger. It is true that there are several biomass technologies available but not all of them are efficient and are linked to significant costs. This means that there are still lots of rooms for improvements.
3. If plants are directly burned, biomass production might also lead to same greenhouse gases levels. It is therefore necessary to make comprehensive plans when thinking about large scale biomass productions. This is to ensure that positive results are attained with less impact on the environment.
4. Chemical processes are involved when creating electricity though biomass energy producing damaging gases like nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide.
5. Another disadvantage of biomass is the expensive cost for set and usage especially on larger scale. Larger biomass projects will also require larger processing and storing spaces to make sure that the best results are delivered.
Although biomass is considered as a clean energy source as compared to fossil fuel, larger quantity of ethanol is needed to produce biomass. This signifies an increase in nitrogen oxide level in the environment.
