Biomass Solutions
Increased environmental awareness and concern about greenhouse (GHG) emissions along with technological innovations are creating a viable marketplace for renewable energy sources. On the environmental front, our air quality is deteriorating at an increasing rate. Studies at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii reveal that CO2 has increased from 310 parts per million (ppm) in the 1950s to 380 by 2005. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, CO2 is estimated to have been at 280ppm. Flooding, wildfires, droughts and an increasing number of endangered creatures are all a result of global warming. The World Meteorological Organization has reported that 2000-2009 was the hottest decade on record, with eight of the 10 hottest years having occurred since 2000. Additionally, deep sea oil drilling and mountain top removal mining immediately degrade the environment, not to mention the human cost of many of these invasive mining techniques. The price of oil is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade, with higher worldwide demand and inflation.
Demand for biomass as a renewable source of fuel for power generation and a feedstock for the production of green fuels is increasing. Mainstream energy and utility companies are turning toward biomass fuels to provide a more local source of energy and to reduce their CO2 emissions. Biomass produced on a sustainable (replacement) basis that is used for the production of energy generates no net GHGs. Rather, each year, the replacement crops absorb the carbon dioxide emitted when biomass is burned, resulting in no net emissions. Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous types of plants, including miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, and various tree species, such as eucalyptus and oil palm. The particular plant used influences the processing of raw material. Â Getting the biomass to the end user requires transport and logistics plus processing (e.g., chipping, baling, pelletizing, torrefaction, etc) along the way.
AtmosClear has launched a service to assist producers of biomass to find off-takers for their organic product. With our experience in carbon trading, forestry projects, commodities trading and banking, AtmosClear can take the time to work with biomass producers to find the best off-take solution for their one-time, intermittent and/or annual production. AtmosClear can also assist producers to assess markets for new supplies.