Biomass

Biomass is derived from living or recently living material (usually derived from plants but this can equally be from animal of vegetable ingredients) used as a substitute for fossil fuels thus reducing the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Common materials used for biomass include wood and wood waste, specialist energy crops such as miscanthus and short rotation coppice, food waste and agricultural residues such as straw, poultry litter and slurry.

A system can be installed to produce either heat or energy or a combined heat and power (CPH) system can be used to provide simultaneous production. The two main ways of using biomass are:

  • Combustion using stoves or boilers. The heat produced can be used to heat buildings and hot water systems, and
  • Anaerobic digestion where bacteria breaks down the organic material to produce;
  • biogas which is then burnt to produce heat or electricity;
  • solid digestate similar to compost which can also be used as a fuel, and
  • liquid that can be used as fertiliser.