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Biomass Conversion to Energy

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Biomass Conversion

Abstract

Rapid depletion of fossil fuels, compounded by the accompanying environmental hazards, has prompted the need for alternative sources of energy. Energy from biomass, wind energy, solar energy, and geothermal energy are some of the most promising alternatives which are currently being explored. Among these, biomass is an abundant, renewable, and relatively a clean energy resource which can be used for the generation of different forms of energy, viz. heat, electrical, and chemical energy. There are a number of established methods available for the conversion of biomass into different forms of energy which can be categorized into thermochemical, biochemical, and biotechnological methods. These methods have further been integrated into the concept of a biorefinery wherein, as in a petroleum refinery, a variety of biomass-based raw materials can be processed to obtain a range of products including biofuels, chemicals, and other value-added products. We present here an overview of how biomass can be used for the generation of different forms of energy and useful material products in an efficient and economical manner.

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Correspondence to Ashok N. Bhaskarwar .

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Pande, M., Bhaskarwar, A.N. (2012). Biomass Conversion to Energy. In: Baskar, C., Baskar, S., Dhillon, R. (eds) Biomass Conversion. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28418-2_1

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