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Bioenergy from forestry
Authors: Peter Hall, ScionPublication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2008, Issue N.Z.J.For. 53(4) 2009, pp 20-24, Jan 2009
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry
Abstract: New Zealand, along with the rest of the world, faces the significant challenges of lowering its greenhouse gas footprint and replacing fossil fuels with suitable energy alternatives. Bioenergy is a carbon-neutral renewable energy source that has an important role in meeting these challenges. There are a myriad of ways of converting biomass to consumer energy (heat, electricity and liquid fuels). The critical question is what should be the source of the biomass (which is essentially stored solar energy in the form of carbon and oxygen). A partial answer is to use biomass residues, as these offer cheap resources and excellent environmental benefits. However, as fossil resources eventually dwindle, residual biomass cannot supply sufficient material to meet future energy demand.