Biomass is organic, non-fossil material of biological origin (plants and animals) used as a raw material for production of biofuels. It can be also called biomass feedstock or energy crops. It includes wide range of materials harvested from nature or biological portion of waste. The most typical example is wood (firewood, wood residues, wood waste, tree branches, stump, wood pellets, ...), which is the largest biomass energy source. Other examples of biomass are grass, bamboo, corn, sugarcane, animal waste, sewage sludge and algae. Using biomass as a fuel is deemed carbon neutral as carbon was trapped from the atmosphere during the biomass life cycle (its grow). There are several sustainability concerns related to the use of biomass as fuel.
Further information
- Energy statistics, European and national metadata (ESMS metadata file)
- Energy balances (ESMS metadata file)
- Supply, transformation and consumption - commodity balances (ESMS metadata file)