ABSTRACT
Biomass is a term used to refer to material derived from plants and animals. Concerns about the sustainability of using conventional solid fuels have led to the development of boilers that run on biomass, which is carbon neutral, or at least, with a lower carbon footprint. Other biomass related technologies include biologically produced gases and oils. Unlike fossil fuels, fuels derived from biomass are renewable and biodegradable resulting in little harm to the environment. The use of biomass to derive usable fuels, not only helps with the energy and greenhouse gases (methane), but also contributes to solving the problem of waste management and storage. Around four-tenths of the total waste produced in the UK is agricultural or farm related (crop, animal, wood). The technology of deriving fuels and extracting energy from biomass is well known throughout the world. The discussion here is limited to some UK examples.
