As wind, solar, and other energy sources come to meet civilization's energy needs, use of
perennial biomass may shift to clean cookstoves and feedstock for paper, bioplastic, and other bio-based products.
Leymus and Lal, 2005 project the biosequestration of 0.06 gigatons of carbon dioxide - equivalent per year by 2050 from
perennial biomass.
Impacts of increased adoption of
perennial biomass from 2020 - 2050 were generated based on three growth scenarios, which were assessed in comparison to a Reference Scenario where the solution's market share was fixed at the current levels.
Project Drawdown defines
perennial biomass as: the use of perennial grasses and coppiced woody plants for bioenergy feedstock, instead of annual crops like corn.
However,
perennial biomass crops can sequester carbon while restoring degraded land.
In most cases, there is a maximum amount of carbon that can be stored in soils and aboveground
perennial biomass before they become saturated.
This analysis focuses on
perennial biomass, and models both woody and herbaceous plants as the main source of feedstock for dedicated electricity generation and combined heat and power generation.
Bearing in mind the portfolio of other renewable energy technologies available, 2 percent of electricity generation from
perennial biomass in 2050 still comprises a significant portion of global electricity demand.
Project Drawdown defines biomass as: the use of
perennial biomass feedstock for dedicated electricity generation and combined heat and power generation.
Not exact matches
These «second - generation» bioenergy crops are often seen as the future of bioenergy because, as
perennials, they are far better at storing carbon in the soil and in their
biomass than traditional fuel crops like corn and canola.
Switchgrass and prairie cordgrass, both native
perennial grasses grown for
biomass, come out of dormancy when the soil warms up for a week or more, usually in April.
«What would happen if all the
perennials die off or produce less
biomass one year because of an early warm spell?
The
biomass types of interest are giant,
perennial legumes — thus not needing nitrogen together with biologically based fertilizer that is derived from the co-product of MAF.
As I said, the
biomass types of interest are giant,
perennial legumes — thus not needing nitrogen together with biologically based fertilizer that is derived from the co-product of MAF.
Biomass energy is a true solution only if it uses appropriate feedstock, such as waste from mills and agriculture or sustainably grown
perennial crops.
High -
biomass perennial crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass offer excellent longer - term potential,» he added.
This study focuses on two types of
perennial energy crops: herbaceous crops (in this case mostly giant grasses) and short rotation coppice, in which the aboveground
biomass of re-sprouting woody crops is harvested mechanically on a 2 - 3 year rotation.
By planting improved
perennials, it would be possible to produce many times the
biomass originally harvested from plants on degraded lands and thus reduce atmospheric CO2.
Biofuels made from low carbon
biomass, including
perennial grasses and farm waste, can produce up to 90 percent fewer global warming emissions compared to gasoline.
Using sustainable feedstock — waste
biomass or
perennial crops — is crucial.