Bioenergy; a substitute and cleaner energy option

Abstract: The early man used energy in the form of food as power source for himself. Man further used energy from the sun for warmth and drying processes. With the advent of civilization and advancement, even more energy was needed to meet up with everyday industrialization demands. This led to a persistent pursuit and exploitation of the earth’s resources in the likes of coal and petroleum. Fossil fuels were continually burned and used with little or no mind for sustainability and consequential impacts on the future. Estimates reveal that, at this level of exploitation, petroleum may not last another half century. The unfortunate reality however, remains that our planet is now edged with catastrophic events like global warming, ozone layer depletion and acid rain due to mans’ reckless exploitation of nature. The increased level of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere is mostly anthropogenic, born from the combustion of fossil fuels. Acts of man have not only endangered humans and our habitats but also fostered multitude of environmental impacts causing global climate changes. Energy is one of the most significant resource for any country, and the search for fuels and renewable energy the world over is inevitable. The exploration of forms of renewable energy in present day is often directed towards biomass resources. These energy forms are called ‘renewable’ because they are constantly replenished and inexhaustible. Renewable energy technologies utilize these sources and convert them into usable forms of energy like electricity, heat, or mechanical power. These technologies are often described as ‘clean’ or ‘green’ because they produce little or no pollutants. This paper therefore, sheds light on bioenergy as an area commanding global attention as a source for cleaner energy options. Among the biomass conversion processes addressed herein, methane production from organic wastes could be most economically feasible in South Africa within the limitations of scale and location