ABSTRACT
The most prominent fact affecting a practical assessment of any bioenergy technology is that there exist a very large number of possible bioenergy conversion technologies. Examining feasibilities and calculating the costs of the various bioenergy technologies that convert wood or other biomass into modified biofuels—charcoal, alcohol, producer gas—tends to be a complex and uncertain exercise. This chapter aims to compare the kinds of energy end use products needed in a country’s demand picture with the bioenergy fuels presently used and with newer bioenergy fuels that might turn out to be better substitutes for petroleum and other fossil fuels. It examines the broad categories of motor fuels, household uses, and process heat in a wide variety of rural biomass energy options. If the highest-priority national need were to replace oil in electricity generation, one would do well to consider different methods of combustion of biomass for steam production.
