Facts About Biomass

• Biomass is the term used to define the energy source made from biological material, including wood and other agricultural materials.

• “Cellulosic” biomass consists of tree trimmings, logging slash, crop residues and organic matter that might otherwise go to landfills. It also consists of the wood residue of forest product mills, such as sawdust, bark, and wood chips.

• Georgia uses more cellulosic biomass for energy than any other state in the nation.

Sixty-seven industries use cellulosic biomass as an energy source in Georgia. The majority of these are forest product companies.

 

• Georgia has 24.1 million acres of privately owned commercial forestland, more than any state in the nation (mostly yellow pine.) From this resource, about 20 million tons of biomass is available annually.

• Biomass can be converted to wood-energy pellets, which are used in heaters and furnaces in residential and commercial applications.  Utility companies can also use them independently or in combination with coal to produce steam and electricity. Wood energy pellets are easy to handle, have high energy value, and are inexpensive to transport.

• Biomass can be converted to ethanol, a “clean, green” gas alternative that can reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil.

• Energy production from biomass, instead of coal or crude oil, results in net zero emissions of carbon dioxide and very low levels of other harmful emissions.

• Cellulosic ethanol is considered superior to corn ethanol because it requires less energy to produce and emits fewer greenhouse gases in the production process.

• Georgia is uniquely qualified to provide biomass to the world. Its increasing timber resources and established infrastructure make the state a leading candidate in the swift establishment of the biomass industry.

• Georgia Tech researchers report just one small biorefinery that produces ethanol from wood cellulose is estimated to have a $33 million impact on local economy; a larger biorefinery would have a $100 million direct impact and a much larger indirect impact on the Georgia economy.

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