Data Structure
Networking
RDBMS
Operating System
Java
MS Excel
iOS
HTML
CSS
Android
Python
C Programming
C++
C#
MongoDB
MySQL
Javascript
PHP
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Mathematics
English
Economics
Psychology
Social Studies
Fashion Studies
Legal Studies
- Selected Reading
- UPSC IAS Exams Notes
- Developer's Best Practices
- Questions and Answers
- Effective Resume Writing
- HR Interview Questions
- Computer Glossary
- Who is Who
Difference Between Biofuel and Biomass
The world is moving fast but the need for energy and fuels is one of the common threads throughout the course of history which is related to almost everything that human does or wishes to do. Energy, in its many useful forms, is a basic element that influences and limits our standard of living and technological progress. Energy is the capacity to make something happen. Without energy, life would cease to exist.
Energy is the support system for all of us. It is used to cook food, make humans, animals and plants live and grow, power buildings; in fact, every machine on the planet including vehicles, televisions, computers, machineries, and power plants run on energy. Even the plants that make such machineries run on energy.
Achieving a sustainable energy future depends on renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels, which supply about 80 percent of the world’s energy, are believed to be depleting soon at their present rate of consumption. Biomass is projected to be a growing part of future sustainable energy sources. Biomass is the most commonly used renewable energy source in the United States. It is a naturally occurring, widely dispersed carbon resource and a logical choice of raw material for the production of a broad range of fossil fuel substitutes.
Biofuels, on the other hand, are energy sources derived from biological materials, which separates them from other non-fossil fuel energy sources such as wind and wave energy. Both the terms are sometime used interchangeably, but they differ in context.
What is Biomass?
Biomass refers to any organic matter that is used as a fuel source. This includes wood, agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, and animal waste. Biomass can be used directly as a fuel source or can be processed into other forms, such as pellets or briquettes. Biomass can also be converted into biofuels through various processes.
Forests and agricultural lands are the two largest potential biomass sources. Biomass is all non-fossil organic materials that have an intrinsic chemical energy content. All energy-containing forms of carbon and all land and water-based vegetation are referred to as biomass. Biomass is inexpensive, widely available and has fewer environmental concerns than fossil fuels. Woodchips, sawdust, animal dung, food scraps, and sewage are also used for biomass. The energy released from biomass is called bioenergy, which is further used for cooking, heating, lighting, and producing electricity.
What is Biofuel?
Biofuels are fuels that are derived from organic matter and are used as a replacement for fossil fuels. Biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel, and other fuels that are derived from biomass. Biofuels are typically used in transportation, such as in cars and trucks, but they can also be used for heating and electricity generation.
Biofuels are energy sources derived from biological materials. They can be solid, liquid, or gas and all three forms of energy are sustainable and renewable because they are produced from plants and animals. ORNL defines biofuels as, “Fuels made from biomass resources, or their processing and conversion derivatives.”
More than half of the fossil fuels people use are burned in vehicles and to reduce the usage of fossil fuels, companies have started manufacturing vehicles that run on biofuels. Many biofuels are used in place of gasoline and diesel to run current technology. Unlike fossil fuels, biofuels are renewable energy sources that could last indefinitely. There are five main types of biofuel: methanol, biodiesel, butanol, ethanol, and bio-oil.
Differences: Biofuel and Biomass
One of the main differences between biomass and biofuels is their production process. Biomass is often used in its raw form or is processed into pellets or briquettes for use as a fuel source. Biofuels, on the other hand, are produced through a variety of processes, such as fermentation or transesterification.
Another difference between biofuels and biomass is their energy density. Biofuels have a higher energy density than biomass because they are processed and refined to remove impurities and increase their energy content. This makes biofuels a more efficient fuel source than raw biomass.
Biofuels also have different environmental impacts than biomass. Biomass can have a negative impact on the environment if it is harvested in an unsustainable way or if it is burned without proper control. However, when harvested sustainably, biomass can have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels. Biofuels, on the other hand, are generally considered to have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels, but their production and use can have other environmental impacts, such as land use changes and water pollution.
Finally, biofuels and biomass have different applications. Biomass is often used in small-scale applications, such as heating homes and buildings or powering small-scale generators. Biofuels, on the other hand, are used in larger-scale applications, such as transportation and electricity generation.
The following table highlights the major differences between Biomass and Biofuel:
Characteristics |
Biomass |
Biofuel |
|---|---|---|
Basic information |
Biomass is all non-fossil organic materials that have intrinsic chemical energy content. All energy-containing forms of carbon and all land and water-based vegetation are referred to as biomass. The term "biomass" refers to organic matter that comes from plants and animals and it is a renewable energy source. |
Biofuels are energy sources derived from biological materials through contemporary biological processes. Biofuel refers to any fuel derived from biomass, that is, animal wastes or plant or algae. It also refers to liquid fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel that is a fuel made from oils of plants. |
Consequences |
Biomass is a renewable energy source derived from all plants and plant-derived materials, including forestry residues, pulp and paper mills waste, animal manure, urban wood waste and so on. Forests and agricultural lands are the two largest potential sources of biomass. In fact, all the wasted plant materials, paper waste, garbage are the sources of biomass. Biofuels can be biogas or bioethanol or biodiesel. Ethanol is derived from sugarcane and corn; biodiesel is obtained from soy, animal fats and vegetable oils. |
Biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels – biofuels – for basic transportation needs. Another biofuel derivative "methanol" is made from natural gas. |
Use |
Biomass such as wood and wood processing wastes are burned to produce heat in industries and used for electricity generation. Garbage is mostly used to produce electricity in waste-to-energy plants. The first energy source wood is widely utilized for industrial applications and domestic purposes. |
Solid biofuels, principally biomass, have been and is still used to provide heat and for cooking, and is currently used in abundance to generate electricity and in combined heat and power systems. The gaseous biofuel methane is also used to generate electricity. Liquid biofuels are used to replace fossil fuels petrol and diesel. Most of the energy consumed in used for vehicle transportation. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, while biofuels and biomass are both derived from organic matter, they have different production processes, energy densities, environmental impacts, and applications.
Biomass is often used in its raw form or processed into pellets or briquettes for small-scale applications, while biofuels are produced through various processes and used in larger-scale applications, such as transportation and electricity generation.
Both biofuels and biomass have their place in the transition to a more sustainable energy future, but it is important to understand their differences and limitations.
684 Views
