Recent Advancements in Torrefaction of Solid Biomass

Purpose of Review: The study focuses on the recent advancements on the torrefaction of solid biomass feedstock. A literature review has been conducted and the most important findings of selected studies which have been published the last 5 years are presented. Recent Findings: According to the published research, solid biomass torrefaction gains significant interest with more than 500 studies since 2002. Based on the existing literature, a focus on the torrefaction woody biomass is observed. However, investigation of torrefaction of herbaceous and other types of biomass such as aquatic is increasing. The integration of pelletization with torrefaction is also widely investigated. Finally, significant effort is given for the development, scaling up, and introduction to market of various torrefaction technologies. Summary: Future research should address the improvement and commercialization of existing torrefaction technologies. Integrated torrefaction and pelletization shall be further investigated especially using non-woody biomass feedstock. © 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.