Dirty Truth About Wood-Burning Biomass

“Far from being “carbon neutral,” wood-burning biomass actually emits more carbon dioxide (the primary global warming greenhouse gas) per unit of energy produced than either gas or coal. Yes, trees can grow back and reabsorb that carbon, but that growth takes many years. The most recent studies show that

The renewability of wood is also questionable, as forests would be threatened by any meaningful increase in electricity generation using biomass as fuel. Replacing just 10 percent of the coal used in Pennsylvania would require more than 12.8 million green tons of wood per year — far more than the state’s annual commercial wood harvest (about 5 million tons).

Read more here.

SaveTheCoal

CO2 from Wood/Biomass is worse than Coal

The new trendy fuel being proposed to replace the EPA/Hansen vilified coal is wood and/or biomass.

One biomass power plant “will emit 1,732 tons per day of carbon dioxide to produce 380,000 MWh of power annually, an emission rate of 3,327 lbs of CO2/MWh. For comparison carbon dioxide emission rates are 2,117 lbs/MWh for existing coal plants,  1,314 lbs/MWh for existing gas plants
and 760 lbs/MWh for new power plants.”

Lets put that in a table.

Fuel lbs of CO2/Megawatt Hour
Biomass 3,327
Coal 2,117
Older Natural Gas 1,314
New Natural Gas 760

“wood fueled biomass power plants emit about 50% more CO2 per MWh than existing coal plants, 150% more than existing natural gas plants and 330% more than new gas power plants.”

Thats right. Biomass/Wood produce 330% more CO2 than a new super-efficient natural gas power plant burning natural gas. And thanks to fracking the gas is super-cheap.

If you believe in the “CO2 will end the world scam”, then please fight hard against wood and biomass power plants. And fight hard for new natural gas power plants.

If you don’t believe, then laugh at the idiots who do. And tell them the truth.

If you are against fracking, and for biomass/wood power planets, you hate the planet.