Biomass and bioenergy are often thought of as using wood for heat or electricity or using corn for ethanol. It is now known the use of this type biomass has many problems not the least of which is savings of greenhouse gas emissions relative to fossil fuels is questionable.
However, there are newer forms of bioenergy using different biomass that address the issues of wood and corn. This “advanced” bioenergy holds the promise of providing a source of clean liquid and gas fuels to replace existing fossil fuels for energy demands that can’t be “electrified” such as aviation, cargo shipping, and industrial processes. Pictured above is Giant Miscanthus, a promising source of advanced bioenergy.
This ECA Mass research paper examines the demand for liquid and gas fuels as we move towards a net zero economy and the role of advanced bioenergy to support this demand.
Additional ECA Mass research papers are here.