It is a small step from biofuels to biomass. “Bio” means life and biomass is bio­logical material in great volume derived from living organisms.

The feedstock of biomass can be plants, vegetables, animals, or wood. Mankind has been burning wood to create heat for thousands of years and this is still done today all over the world. To go a step further, the heat from burning biomass can also be used to boil water and create steam. This steam can be used to generate electricity in steam turbines. Biomass as a feedstock for heat and the electricity contributes to a significant reduction in net carbon emissions, compared with fossil fuels.

The latest technology is using enzymes to change the structure of the biomass molecules out of which renewable, low-carbon sustainable fuels can be produced, such as biodiesel or biokerosene.

Amazingly, the major part of biomass in our world is not used. It is lying around in nature, on garbage dumps, or just rotting away. Most humans are not conscious of the fact that biomass can be recycled and used as an environmentally friendly heating, electricity, or fuel source. The most striking example of wasted biomass are the branches of palm trees in Indonesia and Malaysia. Indonesia has around

5.5 million hectares of palm plantations and Malaysia around 4.5 million hectares. The fruit of the palm tree is supported by two or three huge tree branches called “fronds.” To get the fruit out of the tree, the fronds are cut off, and fruits and fronds fall down below the tree. The fruits are loaded on trucks and transported to the palm mills. The fronds, however, are left behind and are just rotting away. For the Malays and Indonesians this is waste, for me it is it worth more than gold! The green leaves of the fronds contain a high degree of cellulosic fibers, which can be converted into ethanol with the help of enzymes and microbes. The leftovers can be pelletized into agripellets.

Second Generation Biofuels and Biomass: Essential Guide for Investors, Scientists and Decision Makers, First Edition. Roland A. Jansen. r 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Published 2013 by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

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