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UCY ENERGY supplies biomass
Biomass, a renewable energy source, is
biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as
wood, waste, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to
generate electricity or produce heat. For example, forest residues (such as dead
trees, branches and tree stumps), yard clippings and wood chips may be used as
biomass. However, biomass also includes plant or animal matter used for
production of fibers or chemicals. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes
that can be burnt as fuel. It excludes organic material such as fossil fuel
which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal
or petroleum.
Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous types of plant, including
miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane and a
variety of tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil). The
particular plant used is usually not important to the end products, but it does
affect the processing of the raw material.
Although fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are not
considered biomass by the generally accepted definition because they contain
carbon that has been "out" of the carbon cycle for a very long time. Their
combustion therefore disturbs the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.
Plastics from biomass, like some recently developed to dissolve in seawater, are
made the same way as petroleum-based plastics. These plastics are actually
cheaper to manufacture and meet or exceed most performance standards, but they
lack the same water resistance or longevity as conventional plastics.
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