The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A Review
Plant materials throughout the world, i.e. biomass, can provide annually roughly 18 x 1015 Watt-hours (6.5 x 1013 MJ) of energy, considering just the residues from agriculture and forestry. However, at least part of that amount has higher-valued uses, including being made into durable products, ther...
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North Carolina State University
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/24661 |
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| author | Martin A. Hubbe Seong-Min Cho Jhonny Alejandro Poveda-Giraldo Maria Camila Garcia-Vallejo Yuge Yao Fanxing Li Sunkyu Park |
| author_facet | Martin A. Hubbe Seong-Min Cho Jhonny Alejandro Poveda-Giraldo Maria Camila Garcia-Vallejo Yuge Yao Fanxing Li Sunkyu Park |
| author_sort | Martin A. Hubbe |
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| description | Plant materials throughout the world, i.e. biomass, can provide annually roughly 18 x 1015 Watt-hours (6.5 x 1013 MJ) of energy, considering just the residues from agriculture and forestry. However, at least part of that amount has higher-valued uses, including being made into durable products, thereby keeping their carbon content from contributing to global warming. This review considers circumstances under which it may be advantageous to use biomass resources, either alone or in combination with other renewable energy technologies – such as solar and wind energy – to meet society’s energy needs, especially for electricity, heating, and transportation. There is a rapidly expanding pool of published research in this area. To slow climate change, rapid maturation of the most promising technologies is needed, followed by their widespread and early implementation. Of particular interest are synergistic combinations of technologies, including the use of solar energy and biomass together in such a way as to provide hydrogen, heating, and electricity. Another need is to use biomass to make high-energy-density liquid fuels, including aviation fuels, diesel, and naphtha. Although some proposed schemes are complicated, biomass is expected to be gradually implemented as a growing component of installed renewable energy capacity in the coming years. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-14a0449c3ba0424e89f384716079f1c6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1930-2126 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | North Carolina State University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BioResources |
| spelling | doaj-art-14a0449c3ba0424e89f384716079f1c62025-08-20T03:59:30ZengNorth Carolina State UniversityBioResources1930-21262025-07-01203802380923409The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A ReviewMartin A. Hubbe0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2321-4218Seong-Min Cho1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7497-8747Jhonny Alejandro Poveda-Giraldo2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7181-1156Maria Camila Garcia-Vallejo3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6335-7937Yuge Yao4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6420-8519Fanxing Li5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6757-1874Sunkyu Park6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9332-9061Department of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005, Raleigh, NC 27695-8005, USADepartment of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources; North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005; Raleigh, NC 27695-8005Department of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources; North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005; Raleigh, NC 27695-8005Department of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources; North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005; Raleigh, NC 27695-8005Department of Chemical Engineering; North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USADepartment of Chemical Engineering; North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NCDepartment of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources; North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005; Raleigh, NC 27695-8005Plant materials throughout the world, i.e. biomass, can provide annually roughly 18 x 1015 Watt-hours (6.5 x 1013 MJ) of energy, considering just the residues from agriculture and forestry. However, at least part of that amount has higher-valued uses, including being made into durable products, thereby keeping their carbon content from contributing to global warming. This review considers circumstances under which it may be advantageous to use biomass resources, either alone or in combination with other renewable energy technologies – such as solar and wind energy – to meet society’s energy needs, especially for electricity, heating, and transportation. There is a rapidly expanding pool of published research in this area. To slow climate change, rapid maturation of the most promising technologies is needed, followed by their widespread and early implementation. Of particular interest are synergistic combinations of technologies, including the use of solar energy and biomass together in such a way as to provide hydrogen, heating, and electricity. Another need is to use biomass to make high-energy-density liquid fuels, including aviation fuels, diesel, and naphtha. Although some proposed schemes are complicated, biomass is expected to be gradually implemented as a growing component of installed renewable energy capacity in the coming years.https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/24661pelletspyrolysisgasificationcombustionbioethanolbiobutanolmethanehydrogen |
| spellingShingle | Martin A. Hubbe Seong-Min Cho Jhonny Alejandro Poveda-Giraldo Maria Camila Garcia-Vallejo Yuge Yao Fanxing Li Sunkyu Park The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A Review BioResources pellets pyrolysis gasification combustion bioethanol biobutanol methane hydrogen |
| title | The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A Review |
| title_full | The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A Review |
| title_fullStr | The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A Review |
| title_short | The Emerging Role of Biomass in Complementing a Renewable Energy Portfolio: A Review |
| title_sort | emerging role of biomass in complementing a renewable energy portfolio a review |
| topic | pellets pyrolysis gasification combustion bioethanol biobutanol methane hydrogen |
| url | https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/24661 |
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