Bioenergy is a renewable energy produced from natural sources -energy

crops, biomass, wastes and by-products, macro algae, microalgae, seaweeds

and aquatic plants- capable of replacing fossil energy.
The use of biomass energy has the potential to greatly reduce our greenhouse
gas emissions. Biomass generates about the same amount of carbon dioxide
as fossil fuels, but every time a new plant grows, carbon dioxide is actually
removed from the atmosphere. The net emission of carbon dioxide will be
zero as long as plants continue to be replenished for biomass energy
purposes. These energy crops, such as fast-growing trees and grasses, are
called biomass feedstocks. The use of biomass feedstocks can also help
increase profits for the agricultural industry.

Biomass Energy technology applications:

 Biofuel; converting biomass into liquid fuels for transportation.

 Biopower; burning biomass directly, or converting it into a gaseous fuel
or oil, to generate electricity.
 Bioproduct; converting biomass into chemicals for making products
that typically are made from petroleum.

INTERNATIONAL BIOENERGY AGENCY ON BIOENERGY AND

BIOFUELS

Bioenergy accounts for roughly 9% of world total primary energy supply

today. Over half of this relates to the traditional use of biomass in developing
countries for cooking and heating, using inefficient open fires or simple
cookstoves with impacts on health (e.g. due to indoor smoke pollution) and
the environment.

Modern bioenergy on the other hand is an important source of renewable

energy, its contribution to final energy demand across all sectors is five times
higher than wind and solar PV combined, even when the traditional use of
biomass is excluded. Around 13 EJ of bioenergy was consumed in 2015 to
provide heat, representing around 6% of global heat consumption. In recent
years, bioenergy for electricity and transport biofuels has been growing
fastest, mainly due to higher levels of policy support.
Within the industry sector, bioenergy use is common in industries which
produce biomass residues on site, such as the pulp and paper industry, as well
as the food processing sector, where it provides low- and medium-
temperature process heat. Modern bioenergy is also widely used for space
and water heating, either directly in buildings or in district heating schemes.
Furthermore, around 500 TWh of electricity was generated from biomass in
2016, accounting for 2% of world electricity generation.

Liquid biofuels can be used to decarbonise the transport sector, which is still
more than 90% dependent on oil. In 2016, transport biofuels provided 4% of
world road transport fuel demand, with the United States and Brazil the
largest producers. Biofuel production is expected to rise to 159 billion litres
in five years’ time.

In the long-term bioenergy has an essential role to play in a low-carbon

energy system. For instance, modern bioenergy in final global energy
consumption increases four-fold by 2060 in the IEA's 2°C scenario (2DS),
which seeks to limit global average temperatures from rising more than 2°C
by 2100 to avoid some of the worst effects of climate change. Within this
scenario it plays a particularly important role in the transport sector, where it
helps to decarbonise long-haul transport (aviation, marine and long-haul road
freight).

Sustainability of bioenergy supply chains is an important consideration and

strong governance frameworks are needed to ensure that bioenergy use
provides environmental and social benefits. As such there is growing
recognition that only bioenergy supplied and used in a sustainable manner
can play a role in a low carbon energy future.

MODERN BIOENERGY

In modern today, bioenergy is taking another dimension; bioelectrochemistry

which electrogenic bacteria use waste substances (carbon source) serve as a
fuel to generate electricity through their metabolism, which among the
advantages are carbon-negative technology, sustainable, reliable, financially
advantageous, double power output and low cost compared to other
renewable sources if fully functional. The idea was initiated by M.C. Potter,
1911 using Saccharomyces cerevisiae thou his work didn’t get any
recognition but today microbial fuel cells are at the verge of breakthrough
and could be use significantly in generation of electricity in different
institutions at different levels.

Daniel Portnoy, a microbiologist at the University of California, Berkeley

while researching found out that bacteria in human guts produce electricity
and until now scientists had no idea that bacteria found in decaying plants or
in mammals, especially farm animals, could also generate electricity — and
in a much simpler manner, Portnoy said.

In the lab, Portnoy and his team first grew a batch of Listeria monocytogenes,
a species of bacteria, that we often eat that sometimes causes an infection
called listeriosis. This type of food poisoning typically is most dangerous for
those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women (it can cause
miscarriages), newborns and elderly people, according to the Centre for
Disease Control and Prevention.

The researchers screened mutated bacteria — those with missing or altered

genes — to identify which genes were necessary for the bacteria to produce
electricity. Those genes in turn code for certain proteins that are key to
producing electricity.

They found that the system these bacteria used — a cascade of proteins that
carry the electrons out of the bacteria — was much simpler than systems
other electrogenic bacteria (such as those living at the bottom of a lake) use.

There are several reasons why some bacteria generate electricity, such as to
remove electrons produced by metabolism, conditions like oxygen deprived
environment but the main purpose is to create energy.
Other kinds of bacteria believe to be electrogenic are; Shewanella oneidensis,
C. butyricum,Geopsychrobacter electrodiphilus, SCS5 strain of Aeromonas
sp, Listeria monocytogenes.
Once they knew which genes were responsible for electricity generation, the
team further identified hundreds of other microbes that generate electricity
using this simpler process — a number of them commonly reside in the gut,
while others are important in yoghurt fermentation or serving as probiotics
There are already efforts to create MFCs batteries or batteries that use
bacteria to generate electricity using organic matter, like in waste-treatment
plants. Because this new process is simpler, there's a chance it can improve
such technology, but it's too soon to say for sure. The use of this technology
if enhance could be to provide electricity to the system and beyond
efficiently, sustainably and reliably.