Already used in food and furniture, bamboo can also serve as a renewable source of energy due to how quickly it grows, according to a study by the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. After pretreatment, the lignocellulose in bamboo, which accounts for 70% of its composition, can be converted into ethanol, gas, biochar, and oil. A refinery in Assam, India, uses around 500,000 tons (t) of fresh bamboo per year to produce 4,900 t of ethanol. The waste is used to generate electricity. The calorific value of bamboo species varies from 18 to 21 kilojoules per gram (kj/g), which is higher than other biomasses, such as sugarcane bagasse, at 16.6 kj/g. A comparison of 15 species reveals the contrasts: Bambusa bambos grows up to 30 meters (m) high and 18 centimeters (cm) in diameter, while Dendrocalamuposis oldhami is 9 m high and 8 cm in diameter. China, one of the world’s largest producers, is home to some 500 species, predominantly mōsō bamboo, which accounts for 73% of the total. There are 258 species in Brazil, which produces nearly 150 t per year. Bamboo is a perennial plant that regenerates easily and produces for more than 30 years, but it can take space from other plants, reducing diversity (GCB-Bioenergy, May).
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Bamboo, a renewable energy source
Some species can reach up to 30 meters in height
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