Introduction to Biomass Role in Industrial Sustainability
摘要
Biomass is the oldest form of renewable energy, having been used for cooking since the beginning of human history. It consists of organic materials derived from plants, animals, microorganisms, and algae, including food and agricultural waste, municipal waste, animal waste, forestry residues, and industrial waste from wood, paper, and food industries. Biomass is also known as biogas or biofuel (Kalak in Energies 16:1783, 2023; Saleem in Heliyon 8, 2022). When biomass harvesting does not exceed forest growth, it can be considered carbon neutral. The biomass industry emphasizes sustainability by managing, planting, using, conserving, and restoring forests and woodlands for human and environmental benefits (Saleem in Heliyon 8, 2022). Biomass plays a crucial role as a renewable and sustainable energy source. It can be burned directly for heat or converted into liquid and gaseous fuels through various processes. Today, biomass is used to power electric generators and other machinery such as boilers as seen in Fig. 1.1. Biomass is organic, composed of materials from living organisms, primarily plants and wood. Recycling and reusing biomass can be highly profitable for various value-added applications (Saleem in Heliyon 8, 2022; Biomass Properties and Handling Bio Renewables Education Laboratory Biomass Properties Summer Academy Instructor’s Guide JB/CB 2011; Ciolkosz et al. in Renew Altern Energy Fact Sheet 5:1–2, 2010).