What is biomass heat

Wood heat (also called biomass heat) is one of the most cost-effective forms of low carbon energy. A campfire burning sticks is technically biomass heat, but the modern wood heating industry uses mainly processed fuel (such as chips or pellets) in highly efficient stoves and boilers, that usually deliver heat via a water-based central heating or district heating system to a building or collection of buildings. Biomass can provide space heating, hot water and high grade heat for industrial processes.

Biomass is a renewable resource, which simply means that as long as we use it responsibly, it will never run out, because it grows back. Moreover, energy from biomass (bioenergy) is an important tool in efforts to limit global climate change, because it can displace fossil fuels. Fossil fuels add carbon into the live carbon cycle, whereas biomass is already a part of the live carbon cycle. So as long as forests are managed sustainably, biomass can deliver significant greenhouse gas savings.

As well as heating, biomass in its various forms can also deliver power generation, biogas production renewable transport fuels and sustainable soil improvers.

Biomass

Biomass is the term for substances which have grown from animal or vegetable matter. Energy from biomass fuels is renewable and can make significant greenhouse gas emissions savings compared to fossil fuels.

Biomass can be used for:

Wood

Wood fuel includes logs, woodchip or pellets. These are the three main types of wood fuel. The source can be directly from forestry, residues from processing or discarded materials from other sectors such as construction.