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Hydropower, solar, wind: The planet is full of energy sources.

Another, biomass, is becoming increasingly important as we look to diversify the way energy is produced.



Here, Sustainable Energy breaks down biomass, looking at its uses, its potential and how it can help the planet.

Biomass

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What then, is biomass?



As the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) puts it, biomass refers to "organic material" which comes from animals and plants. It encompasses everything from wood and crops to rubbish. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has described biomass as being the planet's only renewable energy source that is able to "offer a viable supplement to petroleum-based liquid transportation fuels… in the near to mid-term."

Bioenergy

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Once you have your biomass, you need to turn it into something useful. The European Commission describes bioenergy as being produced when biomass sources are converted to produce a range of "useful energy carriers" such as electricity, heat and fuels for transport. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has described bioenergy as the world's "single largest renewable energy source today."



The IEA adds that it is responsible for around 10 percent of the world's primary energy supply.

Impact