Biomass incineration is the act of using organic refuse to create electricity. This is done by incinerating the refuse to create a stream that turns a turbine which is connected to a generator. The use of these incinerators has also served in dealing with the municipal solid waste in some areas.

The use of biomass incinerators can be traced back to 1874 when the first “destructor” was built in Nottingham, Great Britain. These machines served to produce electricity through powering steam engines with collected refuse. Their popularity soon spread across the Atlantic to the United States when in 1885, the first garbage incinerator was built on Governor’s Island, New York. These early incinerators fell out of favour due to their emissions landing on neighbouring communities and their poor management.

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Other Sources

“For Education.” Began with the Bin. http://beginwiththebin.org/resources/for-education. Accessed July 20, 2016.

Encyclopedia Theodora. “Distructors.” Encyclopedia Theodora. http://www.theodora.com/encyclopedia/d/destructors.html. Accessed July 20, 2016.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Biomass Explained.” U. S. Energy Information Administration. http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/?page=biomass_waste_to_energy. Accessed July 20, 2016.