What is Biomass?

Biomass describes organic material that can be used to produce energy. Typically this refers to plant matter such as trees, grasses, crops grown specifically for energy production, such as short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus, and agricultural and arboricultural waste and arisings, but it also includes other biological material. Crops grown specifically for energy production, termed 'energy crops', are usually fast growing trees such as willow or poplar. These crops are grown, harvested, dried to lower their moisture content and then either directly burned as fuel (e.g. in heat production) or gassified (e.g. in electricity generation).

Biomass is considered a renewable source of energy since the carbon dioxide released during burning is roughly equal to that taken up during plant growth, providing crops are grown sustainably. It can be used as a solid fuel, or converted into liquid or gaseous forms and burned for the production of electric power, heat, chemicals or for use in vehicles. Biomass as a solid fuel, for instance wood logs, chips or pellets, can be burned in modern, efficient stoves and boilers to produce heat for domestic or commercial premises, including in district heating schemes and combined heat and power schemes. Biomass can also be used to produce electricity in power plants, for instance the 30 MW wood-fuelled power plant being built by Sembcorp in Teesside - the Wilton 10 plant - or co-fired in coal- or gas-fired power plants, such as at Alcan in Lynemouth. Co-firing biomass is encouraged in power plants by the allowances available from The Renewables Obligaton.