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Energy from Biomass? Everything You Need to Know…

Biomass is the most widely used form of renewable energy in the Netherlands. But what do you actually know about this energy source?
Due to the increasing impact of climate change, renewable energy has become more important than ever. That’s why we’d like to tell you more about biomass, including:

What is biomass?
How does it generate energy?
Does biomass have negative effects?

What is biomass?

Biomass is a broad umbrella term for all organic matter. A few examples include:

Agricultural Crops
Organic waste
Manure
Wood or wood chips

These materials are fermented or gasified to produce biofuel. When this biofuel is then burned, energy is released. Energy from biomass is sustainable because it comes from a renewable energy source. Incidentally, this is not a new way of producing energy. Some 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, the explorer Marco Polo had already discovered that the Chinese covered their sewage pits to create biogas.

How does it generate energy?

Energy can be extracted from biomass in various ways, but the most common methods are combustion and fermentation. When organic material is burned, steam is released. That steam—biogas—is converted into electricity and heat in a turbine. To ensure that the biogas is suitable for our natural gas network, it is upgraded to green gas. Once the correct quality is achieved, it is fed into the natural gas network.

Does biomass have negative effects?

There is an ongoing debate about whether biomass is truly sustainable. When energy is generated from imported wood, CO2 is released during transport, and forests are cut down for that purpose. CO2 is also released during combustion. Although, according to some, the latter is not a problem. They argue that the plants used for fermentation have already absorbed existing CO2, which is then released during combustion. Therefore, there is no net increase in CO2 emissions. Moreover, growing trees and plants store this CO2 again. However, according to others, it takes too long for the released CO2 to be stored again, and in the meantime, it may still have an impact on the climate.