Biomassaresten

Biomassaresten is a term used in sustainability and bioenergy discourse to refer to the residual biomass left after primary product extraction in agricultural, forestry, and industrial processes. The word combines biomass with resten, meaning remainder, to signal material that remains after edible or high-value fractions have been removed. In practice, biomassaresten includes crop residues such as straw and stalks, fruit and vegetable pomace, nut shells and husks, forestry residues like branches and bark, and process solids from biorefineries, paper mills, or ethanol plants. It excludes purposefully grown energy crops when they are the intended feedstock.

These residues can be used for energy generation through combustion, co-firing, or gasification, as well as for anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. They can also serve as feedstock for the production of biochar, materials, or chemicals, and as soil amendments where removal is managed to maintain soil health. The suitability of biomassaresten depends on moisture content, composition, and logistics.

Environmental and economic considerations include reductions in waste disposal and potential greenhouse gas savings, balanced against collection, transport costs, and potential impacts on soil carbon and biodiversity. Sustainable use requires criteria to avoid overharvesting, ensure responsible forest management, and avoid competition with food or animal feed.

See also: biomass, bioenergy, agricultural residues, lignocellulosic biomass, biorefineries.