Brownfield grass may be answer for biomass

nebusiness.co.uk
Feb 22 2010 by Karen Dent, The Journal

GREEN energy could soon be generated on a large scale from grass grown on contaminated former industrial sites, including the "wilderness" once famously walked by Margaret Thatcher.

The humble reed canary grass – a native British plant which grows well on poor soil – topped a five-year trial carried out by experts at Teesside University to find the most productive biomass plant growing on brownfield sites. It easily beat the mostly commonly used biomass plant – short rotation coppice willow – and miscanthus, a Chinese plant grown widely in southern England as a feedstock for biomass power stations and boilers for public buildings, such as schools.

Like its competitors, the reed canary grass is turned into pellets or bricks, which are burnt to generate energy without adding to greenhouse gases or global warming.

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