Ethanol biomass is organic material used to produce ethanol, including corn, seaweed, and grass. Sourcing energy-dense biomass is a concern for producers, and using food crops as biomass may impact food supply. Ethanol production relies on efficient conversion of biomass, and subsidies are controversial.
Ethanol biomass is organic material suitable for the production of ethanol. Corn is a notable and widely used example of this, but other sources may include seaweed, branch grass, and other cellulosic crops. Biomass supply is a concern for some ethanol producers, as they need access to materials that are energy-dense and can be converted into ethanol efficiently. In some quarters, biomass sourcing is a matter of controversial debate.
The term “biomass” refers more generally to organic material, classically waste material that cannot be consumed or used in industrial processes. The term is also used in ecology to talk about the total plant material in a given area, with biomass being a concern as well as biodiversity. Ethanol biomass can in fact be used in industrial processes, and some biomass sources are actually also food sources.
To produce ethanol, biomass must be converted so that its energy is available as a fuel that people can use. Ethanol production relies on using ethanol biomass which requires less energy to grow and convert than it produces. Otherwise, the process would be inefficient, making ethanol a poor alternative fuel choice. Crops such as weeds are good candidates because they require much less energy to grow, and the technology for refining ethanol biomass into ethanol is improving all the time, increasing the efficiency with which ethanol can be extracted.
Some people have suggested that by treating edible food crops such as corn as ethanol biomass, the ethanol industry could potentially jeopardize the stability of the food supply, as farmers may be more inclined to plant food crops for use in production of ethanol. Non-food crops used as ethanol biomass could also theoretically displace food crops, reducing the food available on the market. However, ethanol advocates believe that such imbalances can be avoided with careful land management and that ethanol biomass production should not impact food production.
A secondary problem with ethanol energy is that many governments heavily subsidize ethanol biomass production. Critics suggest that the subsidies have sustained an artificial market and that removing the subsidies would allow people to see if there really is a market for ethanol. Proponents point out that similar subsidies are in place for many crops and industries, and that subsidies are sometimes needed to sustain a fledgling industry until it can achieve independence. According to this theory, the need for subsidies would gradually decrease as ethanol production and ethanol demand increased.
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