About Biomass

Biomass is biological material obtained from living or recently living organisms that can be processed into electricity, fuel and heat. Biomass has been used for thousands of years and there are many forms available which are used in a number of ways. For example, in a wood fire the wood that is burning is a biomass fuel. Biomass is also used in building materials, composting and as in Drax’s case in the electricity industry. The materials that Drax use include sustainable wood-based products, forestry residues and residual agricultural products, such as sunflower seed husks and peanut husks

Biomass and the carbon cycle

Biomass is part of the carbon cycle. Biomass contains stored energy that has been converted from carbon in the atmosphere through photosynthesis. The energy in plants then gets passed onto animals and humans that eat them or use them as fuel. When we breathe, and biomass is burnt carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Biomass products such as plants are then replanted and the whole process starts over again and so a carbon equilibrium is reached.

Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is absorbed by biomass throughout its lifetime and is then depleted into the atmosphere again when it is burnt. This is why biomass is also referred to as carbon neutral.

Drax and Biomass

Biomass is three to five times more expensive than coal. Drax has a special biomass team who source biomass worldwide and look into the possibilities of growing biomass on site. This will reduce carbon dioxide emissions through reducing transportation. Drax also try to source new biomass as some types cannot be burned in the boiler.

Drax has a target to produce 12.5% of its output from renewable biomass materials by mid-2010. This would be the equivalent of 600 wind turbines and will save over two and a half million tonnes of CO₂ each year.

Biomass produces far less carbon dioxide and does not release the harmful by-product sulphur dioxide which causes acid rain when compared with fossil fuel counterparts such as coal. Therefore by burning biomass Drax will come closer to meeting their target of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide by 17.5% by 2011.

Benefits of Biomass

• Reduced use of landfills – a proportion of landfills consist of woody biomass from construction; by utilising biomass for energy there will be more room in these landfill sites for the ever increasing amount of waste.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions – less carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions due to carbon cycle.
• Better economy – development of an energy crop market is good for UK forestry, farming and the countryside, creating more jobs.
• Preservation of agricultural land – biomass restricts land being sold for residential and industrial use.