Authors : Sunyong Park1, Kwang Cheol Oh1, Seok Jun Kim2, Paudel Padam Prasad3, Seon Yeop Kim4, Ha Eun Kim4, Jae Youl Shin4, DaeHyun Kim5*
DOI : 10.22698/jales.20240015
Volume : 36
Issue : 3
Year : 2024
Page No : 165-192
The increase in fossil fuel use, brought about by industrial growth, and its adverse effects on climate change through increased CO2 emissions and environmental pollution, were addressed in this study. The aim of this study was to further reduce dependence on fossil fuels and their adverse effects on the environment by evaluating alternative energy sources, such as biomass. The statistics and trends associated with global energy consumption and the move to renewable energy sources were analyzed. In particular, biomass has potential as a long-term energy source. Therefore, mechanical, thermochemical, and biochemical biomass conversion technologies were examined to evaluate their effectiveness and environmental impact. The results showed that the use of renewable energy considerably increased from 6.17 billion tonne of equivalent (TOE) in 2018 to 9.53 billion TOE in 2021. In particular, the results showed that biomass, and bioenergy represented 26.99% of all renewable energy sources and made important contributions to renewable energy production. The analysis of mechanical, thermochemical, and biochemical conversion techniques showed that each technique has unique benefits and drawbacks with regard to cost effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and energy efficiency. This study concludes that there are still a large number of challenges to be overcome, even though biomass and other renewable energy sources are essential when attempting to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and enhance environmental sustainability. Overcoming these challenges requires cutting-edge conversion technologies, expensive initial setups, byproduct management, and creativity. New laws and public-private collaborations should be encouraged to help promote biomass as a practical substitute and to increase the uptake and application of renewable energy technologies.