Biomass from Wood Processing Industries as an Economically Viable and Environmentally Friendly Solution

Abstract

Biomass is seen as an economically viable and environmentally friendly solution to energy generation. Biomass is a financially viable investment as well as being environmentally friendly. The development and implementation of biomass technologies could bring many environmental, energetically and economic benefits, solving important problems such as waste disposal and renewable energy supply. The different countries clearly have chosen very different approaches in developing and deploying various bio–energy options. Partly this is caused by the natural conditions (type of resources and crops, climate) and the structure of the energy system, and also by the specific political priorities linked to the agricultural and forestry sectors in those countries. Romania has a significant potential in organic waste, including waste generated in forestry sector, agro–food industry or municipal biodegradable wastes. Biomass is an emerging renewable fuel that can help to heat homes and buildings at lower impact to the environment and lower costs than fossil fuels. The fuel (usually in the form of biomass pellets) is made from sustainable materials, such as wood, which is easily replaced and in abundance, at a relatively cheap price. As people are becoming more and more conscious about their individual impact on the environment and looking into greener, more efficient alternatives, biomass is slowly becoming one of the nation’s favorite renewable heat technologies. Actually, sawdust as by–product from wood sawing process, doesn’t have much application because of its low burning efficient. However, by pressing the saw dust into pellets, it becomes a kind of high quality biofuel product – sawdust pellets or wood pellets.