Biomass
Energy you can count on, today
Woody waste from agriculture and construction has always existed. Usually, these materials were landfilled and their decomposition contributed to the emission of GHGs.
Today, these materials come to our facilities and are turned into much needed energy for our communities.
What is biomass ?
In the energy field, biomass is organic matter from a plant source that can be used as a raw energy source. The source of energy generating the best thermal efficiency remains in all cases the direct combustion of biomass.
Biomass meets the challenges of sustainable development and generates a circular economy. Replacing fossil energy sources with biomass contributes significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2014, according to the international energy agency, biomass could provide 90.2 GW of energy, of which 370 TWh of electricity, or about 1.5% of electricity production worldwide.
Energy generation process
To create energy from cogeneration, woody waste arrives by truck and is crushed, then transported by conveyor to the boiler.
The boiler generates high pressure, high temperature steam that has a large amount of energy.
How biomass can help waste reduction
SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) is the most significant waste reduction mandate to be adopted in California in the last 30 years. SB 1383 has many requirements, including reducing organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025, as well as the procurement of “Recovered Organic Waste Products” (ROWP).
Converting biomass into sustainable energy
At Greenleaf, we focus on the transformation of biomass into green electricity, making enough power for more than 90,000 homes every year. That makes us one of the leading suppliers of renewable energy in North America.
Biomass includes:
- Tree branches
- Clean wood from construction and demolition waste
- Agriculture residual material
