Biomass Energy by Country 2024

Biomass comes from plants and animals. It is an organic material. It stores energy collected from the sun. For example, a pile of wood cut from trees is a storehouse of the sun’s energy that can be used when the wood is burned. The trees grow by using sunlight in a process called photosynthesis. This converts the sun’s energy into creating wood cellulose as the tree grows.

Another definition of biomass is the amount of living organisms in a specific area, measured by weight or volume per area.

Biomass may be burned or processed and converted into refined fuel. An example of converted biomass is corn, processed into the liquid fuel, ethanol. Biomass does not mean the energy source is sustainable or less polluting. For example, coal is a type of biomass.

Countries Using Biomass for Energy

Biomass energy is used to create biofuel in many countries. Here are the top five countries for biomass energy use.

1. Brazil

Brazil is not the top producer; however, it leads the world in biomass use because it is committed to becoming the world’s largest user of ethanol made from sugar cane. This process is more efficient and cost-effective than trying to produce ethanol from corn. Ethanol used in Brazil accounts for around 40% of the fuel used for transportation.

Brazil also uses the waste from sugarcane harvesting to produce another fuel that power plants burn to create electricity.

2. China

China produces the most biomass energy and exports some of it. It uses slightly less than Brazil and exports biofuels. China burns lots of coal in power plants to produce electricity. China is a significant producer of wood pellets, a fuel used for heating and producing electricity.

3. United States

The United States burns wood and products made from wood waste, making it the third-largest biomass energy user. The United States also creates ethanol from corn and uses this biofuel to produce electricity and to blend with gasoline for transportation use

4. India

India is the fourth-largest user of biomass energy. Electricity is generated by the burning of agricultural waste. India has substantial production of biofuels in the form of wood pellets to burn to generate electricity and for heating.

5. Germany

Germany uses biomass energy from the burning of wood and wood waste. Germany also generates electricity from biofuels, particularly by burning biogas (methane) produced from the decomposition of organic matter.