In Nova Scotia, we make great use of biomass. Large and medium-sized pulp and paper companies use wood chips to create electricity to run their mills. Some companies sell excess power to Nova Scotia Power where it contributes to the power we use every day.
There is enough electricity generated from biomass to power about 7,500 homes in Nova Scotia. We are working to increase this amount by soliciting proposals for new biomass generation projects.
Biomass is wood, wood waste, peat and plants which contain energy and can be burned to create heat or electricity. Biomass is renewable because living plants can be replaced through new growth. If you have a fireplace, the wood you burn is a biomass fuel.
Biomass is still used widely around the world in developing and developed countries alike. Biomass does not add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere because it absorbs the same amount of carbon in growing as it releases when consumed as a fuel.
Biogas is another source of energy that can be used to generate electricity. Biogas is a bi-product of biomass. An example of biogas is methane gas derived from solid waste landfills.
Find out more about biomass in Nova Scotia by watching this video.
There are generally two types of biomass: raw and secondary.
Raw biomass consists of mainly trees and shrubs from forests, or crops such as grasses and grains. It can also be aquatic materials such as kelp, seaweed or algae. Raw biomass is obtained from energy crops that are grown specifically to provide biofuels. Typical energy crops include hybrid poplars, willows, switchgrass and reed canary grass.
Secondary biomass is any material that was derived from raw biomass, but has undergone significant chemical and physical changes. This includes bark, paper, cardboard, cotton, linen and hemp. The forestry, pulp and paper, agricultural and food processing industries - as well as some municipal garbage disposal sites - provide most of the secondary biomass in Canada.
To learn more about biomass visit: Biomass in Canada