Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Friday, March 6, 2009

Curiosities: How does biomass stack up against coal in energy yield?

Wisconsin State Journal
WED., MAR 4, 2009 - 5:37 PM

CURIOSITIES We ask the experts your questions about our world.

Q: With the state moving toward power plants that burn biomass (corn stover, wood chips), how does its energy yield compare with that of coal?

A: "Simply put, it takes about twice as much biomass to replace an equivalent weight of coal," says UW-Madison emeritus mechanical engineering professor Ken Ragland. Coal contains roughly 12,000 Btu of heat per pound, while dry biomass has about 6,000 to 9,000.

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