Energy Alternatives

Where Does Biomass Come From?

Biomass is a term that is coming up more frequently in alternative energy conversations. While many people simply refer to the plants used to make biofuels like ethanol as biomass, this is not entirely true. CO2 in the air combines with water during the process of photosynthesis. When the process is complete, the plants are left with natural carbohydrates, or sugars. These sugars are the main source of biomass.

To put it simply, biomass comes from plants and all fossil fuels are biomass. Well, maybe that is not so simple. Let us break down the process to better explain where biomass comes from.

When the plants finish the photosynthetic reaction, the sugars can be extracted and used to produce ethanol and other biofuels. This is the current definition of biomass. However, the coal we have used for centuries is also biomass. Coal is simply a denser version of these plants that has been pressurized and chemically altered over millions of years. Oil and natural gas are also forms of biomass that are linked to live plants at some point in the chain of development.

SO, what is biomass and where does it come from? Biomass is plants, coal, oil, natural gas and all forms of fossil based fuels and bioalternative energy sources we use today. The substance is all around us and we touch some form of it nearly every day of our lives, most often to the extreme which is why we need renewable sources of this life supporting gift from Earth.

Learn where does biomass come from.