Is biomass considered a green product?

Yehia F. Khalil Popular answer

The better and more accurate definition would be "a greener energy source compared to .... "

For example, lignin-based carbon fiber is greener compared to the petroleum-based carbon fiber. In this example, the conventional precursor for carbon fiber synthesis is the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) which is petroleum based and its manufacturing process is energy intensive. On the other hand, lignin is available as a byproduct from the paper pulp industry.

You can find many of my lecture notes on green energy sources uploaded under my profile in ResearchGate.net

Professor Yehia Khalil, Yale University, USA

Fellow of the University of Oxford, UK

Yehia F. Khalil

The better and more accurate definition would be "a greener energy source compared to .... "

You can find many of my lecture notes on green energy sources uploaded under my profile in ResearchGate.net

Professor Yehia Khalil, Yale University, USA

Fellow of the University of Oxford, UK

Robert Istvan Radics

Yes it is, and I agree with Yehia, the carbon balance and other impacts depends on plenty of things, but generally biomass is greener than corn, corn is greener than oil.

Please find my study about the environmental, social and economic impact of using woody biomass for energy production below.

Article Use of Linear Programming to Optimize the Social, Environmen...

Amin Shavandi

I think Biomass is more a raw green product meaning that it is not a product per say but it has the potential to be used in production of various green product. e.g. a good source of energy or application in green plastics

Hanasoge Mukunda

Yes, only if in an area of interest (a geographical zone, a country or a relevant important part), the amount of biomass produced is more than the biomass utilized for all purposes, combustion included. With waste from agricultural operations, this is not quite so. It can be taken renewable and hence a green product.

Hanasoge Mukunda

Abdul Muhaymin Petersen

Yes, functional biomass products or raw materials are considered green as they substitute the equivalent amount of carbon extracted from fossil sources. So biomass combustion in CHP for example, releases CO2 that was initially in the atmosphere, and that would have landed up anyway again when the plant material rots... Except that by using for CHP, it produces a function, within in the existing carbon cycle. On the contrary, burning coal would have meant extracting carbon from the ground and inserting it in the atmosphere as CO2 after use for energy, hence increasing greenhouse gas levels.