Bioenergy
Bioenergy is a form of energy that is generated from the conversion of solid and liquid biomass products into three key end-use categories: electricity, heat and transport fuels. In some circumstances, other uses of biomass may offer better value than use for energy, for example in bioproducts such as biochar, green chemicals, as a reductant in the steel industry displacing coal, and other applications.
Biomass is organic material derived from animals and plants - typically for bioenergy generation it includes residues from agricultural and forestry industries, urban organic waste, as well as dedicated biomass crops. Biomass is converted to bioenergy via different types of conversion technologies such as anaerobic digestion, combustion, pyrolysis, fermentation and gasification.
ARENA, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, in a media release (ARENA to develop roadmap to boost bioenergy opportunities in Australia) stated, "The most cost effective and environmentally beneficial sources of biomass and other feedstock is typically wastewater, industrial, commercial and municipal waste and waste streams from the agricultural, forestry and industrial sectors. Bioenergy has scope to expand as an energy source in Australia, where it currently contributes up to approximately four per cent of Australia's total energy consumption, as opposed to approximately seven per cent in other OECD countries."
Bioenergy, if sustainably produced, is a renewable form of energy. In sustainable bioenergy systems, the carbon emitted during conversion of biomass into bioenergy was previously sequestered as the plants grew, and will be sequestered again during regrowth.
Learn more about currently available and emerging bioenergy for use and/or generation on farm, and biomass research currently being conducted by NSW DPI by clicking the following links: