Biomass Energy Report Promising

From New Energy and Fuel comes a link to this free download PDF report on comparative efficiencies of 14 biomass bioenergy approaches.

This valuable study provides an excellent starting point for evaluating the important approaches to biomass energy, and it is a free download until May 31, 2009. The report is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the current and near future trends of bioenergy. Excerpt:

...the best performing scenarios involve both biological and thermochemical processing such that the carbohydrate fraction is converted biologically, and the lignin-rich residue converted thermochemically. Th is integrated confi guration enables waste heat from the thermochemical process to
power the biological process, resulting in higher overall process effi ciencies than would otherwise be realized. Standalone thermochemical processing should also not be
dismissed. Although the focus of this study has been on conversion of large-scale cellulosic energy crops, such as switchgrass, thermochemical processing holds a unique advantage in handling carbonaceous feedstocks that cannot be easily converted biologically. Examples include low-carbohydrate materials, such as sewage or slaughterhouse waste, mixed materials like municipal garbage, and exceptionally recalcitrant feedstocks such as certain soft - woods. _Comparative Biomass Bioenergy PDF

This report is full of excellent summary graphics and charts. Anyone navigating the treacherous financial waters of energy investment without understanding the potential of bioenergy, is sailing blind.