ABSTRACT
Climate Change? ...................................................................... 384 8.5.2 How Likely Is it that Biopower Will Replace Coal-Fired
Plants? ........................................................................................ 387 8.6 Evolution of the Electric Grid in Brazil and the Role of
Biomass in Recent Years...................................................................... 388 8.6.1 e “Battle” for New Installed Capacity (MW): e
Auction System ......................................................................... 389 8.7 Biopower as an Alternative Source of Energy .................................. 394
8.7.1 Biopower from Bagasse ........................................................... 394 8.7.2 Eucalyptus in Brazil ................................................................. 396 8.7.3 Elephant Grass .......................................................................... 398
8.8 Competition from Natural Gas and Wind ........................................401 8.8.1 Natural Gas ................................................................................401 8.8.2 Wind Energy ............................................................................. 403
Eorts to meet global demand for electricity (which increased 3.2% per year from 1993 to 2008 and is expected to grow 2.5% per year until 2030) while simultaneously tackling climate change are resulting in heavy investments in renewable energy (OECD 2010, p. 17). Although wind and solar power have received the most attention in recent years, biomassbased electricity-or “biopower”—also forms a signicant part of the renewable energy mix. Once considered the world’s most primitive source of heat, biopower today has the potential to diversify the eld of renewable electricity production. In light of the growing global demand for accessible, clean sources of electricity, we pose the question: Will biopower soon experience a growth phase akin to those of wind and solar?
