Advantages:

 Biomass is very abundant. It can be found on every square meter of the earth as seaweed,
trees or dung.
 It is easy to convert to a high energy portable fuel such as alcohol or gas.
 It is cheap in contrast to the other energy sources.
 Biomass production can often mean the restauration of waste land (e.g. deforested areas).
 It may also use areas of unused agricultural land and provide jobs in rural communities.
 If it is produced on a renewable basis using biomass energy does not result in a net
carbon dioxide increase as plants absorb it when they grow.
 It is very low in sulphur reducing the production of acid rain.
 Alcohols and other fuels produced by biomass are efficient, viable, and relatively
clean-burning.
 Available throughout the world.

Advantages of biomass

 Solar energy storage

 Renewable energy
 Closed material cycle
 CO2 neutral
 Reduction of air pollutants
 Local added value
 Reduction of external dependence
 Secures and creates jobs
 Rational use of existing timber waste
 Reduction of transport traffic


Disadvantages

 Could contribute a great deal to global warming and particulate pollution if

directly burned
 Still an expensive source, both in terms of producing the biomass and converting
it to alcohols
 On a small scale there is most likely a net loss of energy--energy must be put in
to grow the plant mass.
 Greenhouse gases produced by burning
 Extra costs of installing technology to process and recycle wastes
 Expensive to collect, harvest and store raw materials
 Large scale crop production will use vast areas of land and water,
representing major problems
 Lulling us into a false sense of hope
Cow dung gas is 55-65% methane, 30-35% carbon dioxide, with some hydrogen, nitrogen and
other traces. Its heat value is about 600 B.T.U.'s per cubic foot.

A sample analyzed by the Gas Council Laboratory at Watson House in England contained 68%
methane, 31% carbon dioxide and 1% nitrogen. It tested at 678 B.T.U.

This compares with natural gas's 80% methane, which yields a B.T.U. value of about 1,000.

Gobar gas may be improved by filtering it through limewater (to remove carbon dioxide), iron
filings (to absorb corrosive hydrogen sulphide) and calcium chloride (to extract water vapor).

Cow dung slurry is composed of 1.8-2.4% nitrogen (N), 1.01.2% phosphorus (P 2 0 5 ), 0.6-0.8%
potassium (K 2 0) and from 50-75% organic humus.

About one cubic foot of gas may be generated from one pound of cow manure at 75° F. This is
enough gas to cook a day's meals for 4-6 people.

About 225 cubic feet of gas equals one gallon of gasoline. The manure produced by one cow in one
year can be converted to methane which is the equivalent of over 50 gallons of gasoline.

Gas engines require 18 cubic feet of methane per horsepower per hour.

Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the
absence of oxygen. Biogas originates from biogenic material and is a type of biofuel.

One type of biogas is produced by anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable

materials such as biomass, manure, sewage, municipal waste, green waste, plant material and
energy crops.[1] This type of biogas comprises primarily methane and carbon dioxide. The other
principal type of biogas is wood gas which is created by gasification of wood or other biomass.
This type of biogas is comprised primarily of nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide, with
trace amounts of methane.

The gases methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide can be combusted or oxidized with oxygen.
Air contains 21% oxygen. This energy release allows biogas to be used as a fuel. Biogas can be
used as a low-cost fuel in any country for any heating purpose, such as cooking. It can also be
used in modern waste management facilities where it can be used to run any type of heat engine,
to generate either mechanical or electrical power. Biogas can be compressed, much like natural
gas, and used to power motor vehicles and in the UK for example is estimated to have the
potential to replace around 17% of vehicle fuel.[2] Biogas is a renewable fuel, so it qualifies for
renewable energy subsidies in some parts of the world.