Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications
Open Access

Bioenergy

Bioenergy refers to electricity and gas that is generated from organic matter, known as biomass. This can be anything from  plants and timber to agricultural and food waste – and even sewage.The term bioenergy also covers transport fuels produced from organic matter. When biomass is used as an energy source, it’s referred to as ‘feedstock’. Feedstocks can be grown specifically for their energy content (an energy crop), or they can be made up of waste products from industries such as agriculture, food processing or timber production. Dry, combustible feedstocks such as wood pellets are burnt in boilers or furnaces. This in turn boils water and creates steam, which drives a turbine to generate electricity. Wet feedstocks, like food waste for example, are put into sealed tanks where they rot and produce methane gas (also called biogas). The gas can be captured and burnt to generate electricity. Or it can be injected into the national gas grid and be used for cooking and heating. Bioenergy is a very flexible energy source. It can be turned up and down quickly to meet demand, making it a great backup for weather-dependent renewable technologies such as wind and solar.