Books
Handbook of Bioenergy Crops:
A Complete Reference to Species, Development and Applications
640 pages - December 2009
Fuel and Feed the World - Fuelling the world is the crucial step to achieve sustainable development and poverty alleviation
-Dr. N. El Bassam is the Director of International Research
Centre for Renewable Energy (IFEED) in Germany.-
‘[The] most authoritative and rich source of information
in biomass. It can be considered as a milestone and will be
instrumental in promoting the utilization of biomass for
human welfare in decades to come.’
Prof. Dr. Rishi Kumar Behl, University of Hisar, Haryana,
India
---------
Biomass currently accounts for about 15 per cent of global
primary energy consumption and is playing an increasingly
important role in the face of climate change, energy and food
security concerns.
Handbook of Bioenergy Crops is a unique reference and
guide, with extensive coverage of more than 80 of the main
bioenergy crop species. For each it gives a brief description,
outlines the ecological requirements, methods of propagation,
crop management, rotation and production, harvesting,
handling and storage, processing and utilization, then inishes
with selected references. This is accompanied by detailed
guides to biomass accumulation, harvesting, transportation and
storage, as well as conversion technologies for biofuels and an
examination of the environmental impact and economic and
social dimensions, including prospects for renewable energy.
This is an indispensable resource for all those involved in
biomass production, utilization and research.
----
Contents
Part I: Fuel and Feed the World
1. Global Energy Production, Consumption and Potentials of Biomass
2. Bioenergy Crops versus Food Crops
3. Transportation Biofuels
4. Primary Biomass Productivity, current yield potentials, Water and Land availability
5. Harvesting, Logistic and Delivery of Biomass
6. Technical Overview: Feedstocks, Types of Biofuels and Conversion Technologies
7. Environmental Impact
8. Economic and Social Dimensions
9. Integrated Bionergy Farms and Rural Settlements
Part II: Energy Crops Guide
10. Energy Crops Guide
Part III
11. Ethanol Crops
12. Oil Crops
13. Biogas from Crops
14. Hydrogen and Methanol Crops
15. Underutilized and unexploited Crops
Appendices
Integrated Renewable Energy for Rural Communities
Planning Guidelines, Technologies and Applications
N. El Bassam , International Research Center for Renewable Energy (IFEED),Sievershausen, Germany
P. Maegaard , Danish Center for Renewable Energy, Hurup Thy, Denmark
ISBN: 0-444-51014I
Description
Energy Plant Species - Their use and impact on environment
N. El Bassam
James & James (Science Publishers)
Forward
Today, it is estimated that more than two billion people worldwide lack access to modern energy resources. Although we know that energy is absolutely essential for development, relatively little attention has been devoted to this matter at national and international levels.
The magnitude of energy consumed per capita has become one of the indicators of the 'modernization' and progress of a country. Thus energy issues and policies have been strongly concerned with increasing the supply of energy. The strategic and environmental consequences of energy consumption patterns have been neglected for a long time. The world continues to seek energy to satisfy its needs without giving consideration to the social, environmental, economic and security impacts of energy use.
Many of the crises on our planet arise from the desire to secure supplies of raw materials, particularly energy sources, at low prices. The pressure will become even greater as fossil energy feedstocks and uranium are depleted. Although some of these resources might last a little longer than predicted, especially if additional reserves are discovered, the main problem of 'scarcity' will remain, and this represents the greatest challenge to humanity.
It is now clear that current approaches to energy are unsustainable and not renewable. Of all renewable energy sources generally the largest contribution, especially in the short and medium range, is expected to come from biomass. Fuels derived from energy crops are not only potentially renewable, but are also sufficiently similar in origin to the fossil fuels (which also began as biomass) to provide direct substitution. They can be converted into a wide variety of energy carriers using existing and novel conversion technologies, and thus have the potential to be significant new sources of energy into the twenty-first century.
This book deals with various aspects related to the potential of energy plant species that can be grown on plantations for production of fuel feedstocks, and with appropriate upgrading and conversion technologies, along with their environmental, economic and social dimensions. Most grateful thanks are due to B. Prochnow who did the most arduous and time consuming work of preparing the manuscript. I would also like to thank S.G. Agong, W. Bacher, C. Baldelli, D.G. Christian, L. Dajue, C.D. Dalianis, W. Elbersen, J. Fernandez, A.K. Gupta, K.Jakob, S.F. Khalifa, V. Petrikova, A. Riedacker, S. Roy, and M. Satin for providing contributions, as well as S. Klahr and A. Voges for their efforts in providing additional information.
I wish and hope that this book will contribute to the increase in interest and understanding in the vital economic and social roles of biomass to meet the growing demand for energy and to face the future challenges of limited fossil fuel reserves and global warming.
deutsch