Do We Need to Focus Investments In Biomass Power Plants Now?

Coal fired power plants 

supply more than a third 

of the world's electricity

Photo Credit: LuckyLuke / pixabay.com

Amid rising prices of electricity and fossil fuels, do we need to focus investments in power plants that use biomass as fuels now?

My answer would have to be no.

But we have to be particular on what type of fuel to use. Currently, the world’s oil reserves is forecast to be depleted in less than 50 years and natural gas in less than 70 years.

Nuclear power plants are hazardous because of nuclear wastes.

Hydroelectric plants, on the other hand, despite the fact that it produces clean energy, is geographically specific. You cannot build it in places where there is limited water.

Biomass and CNG, conversely, are still very young technologies and are capital intensive.

Our best bet today then is coal, a fuel cheaper than oil, which we can tap for energy production for more than 140 more years.

I thought burning coal releases carbon dioxide? Yes it does. That is why we have to invest in carbon capture technology and on developing carbon dioxide into another power source.

Today’s carbon capture technology is energy intensive and can add another 40% to the energy consumption of a coal power plant which, in effect, will raise the price of electricity. However, investing in the development of carbon capture technology can take away up to 90% of the power plant’s carbon emissions. Investing in this technology is important in reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Furthermore, storing carbon dioxide either underground or under the sea poses risks of leakage and underwater life poisoning. What we need to do is to further develop new technologies that can harness carbon dioxide to convert it back into fuel. The technology is much like that of plants and is often called artificial photosynthesis.

Using coal as fuel for power plants does not mean that we should stop our quest for an alternative fuel. It only provides us with more time to develop new and better technologies that can answer our problems ultimately.

In the near future, perhaps my next bet will be on hydroelectric plants and biomass.