Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Organic Solid Wastes
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editors
Interests: resource recycling; biomass thermal conversion; solid waste gasification; ash-related issues
Interests: ash chemistry in the thermal conversion process of the carbon-containing resources; coal-based solid waste resource utilization including fabrication of porous ceramic, ceramsite, and low-carbon cement
Interests: efficient and directional thermal conversion of carbon-containing resources for syngas and chemicals production; low-carbon utilization in the process of energy consumption; resource utilization of coal gangue/tailings/ash slag and chemical kinetics of molten slag
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The thermochemical conversion of biomass and organic solid wastes has attracted increasing global attention in recent years, driven by the urgent need for sustainable energy, carbon neutrality, and circular economy strategies. Various thermochemical technologies—including pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal conversion, and combustion—are being explored to transform diverse feedstocks into fuels, chemicals, hydrogen, biochar, and other high-value products. These processes not only contribute to the efficient utilization of renewable resources but also provide promising solutions for the treatment of agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, plastics, and other organic wastes, thereby addressing both energy and environmental challenges.
Recent progress in catalytic materials, process intensification, system integration, and life-cycle assessment has opened new opportunities for improving the efficiency, selectivity, and environmental performance of thermochemical pathways. At the same time, challenges remain in terms of feedstock variability, reaction mechanisms, process scale-up, and techno-economic viability. Bridging fundamental research and industrial application is, therefore, critical to advancing this field.
This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the latest research developments in the thermochemical conversion of biomass and organic solid wastes, covering advances from fundamental studies to applied technologies, and highlighting pathways toward resource recovery, carbon reduction, and sustainable development.
Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal carbonization, and combustion of biomass and organic wastes.
- Catalytic conversion and upgrading of thermochemical products (syngas, bio-oil, biochar, hydrogen, etc.).
- Reactor design, system integration, and process intensification.
- Co-conversion of biomass with plastics, municipal solid waste, or coal.
- Mechanistic and kinetic studies of thermochemical processes.
- Advanced analytical and modeling approaches.
- Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of thermochemical systems.
- Co-conversion and resource recycling of renewable energy wastes (e.g., photovoltaic modules, wind turbine blades).
- Ash formation, deposition, corrosion, and utilization in thermochemical processes.
- Industrial applications, scale-up, and case studies.
Dr. Zefeng Ge
Dr. Chong He
Dr. Xi Cao
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- biomass
- organic solid waste
- thermochemical conversion
- pyrolysis
- gasification
- catalytic upgrading
- ash behavior
- renewable energy waste recycling
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