Biomass: Clean and Renewable Energy Sources
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 368
Special Issue Editors
Interests: energy materials; clean energy; biomass; biofuel; process safety; heterogeneous catalysis
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Biomass is a versatile and important renewable energy resource that plays a crucial role in the global clean energy transition. Currently, it is the most significant contributor to renewable energy worldwide and is expected to remain a key element in the future of low-carbon energy systems. Utilizing biomass as a fuel source helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhances energy security by replacing fossil fuels with bio-based alternatives. To fully exploit the potential of biomass, advanced fundamental research and innovative applied solutions are required.
This Special Issue spans a wide range of topics in bioenergy, encompassing thermochemical and biochemical conversion pathways for producing heat, power, and fuels from biomass. Contributions are invited on both established and emerging processes, including combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and advanced fermentation. These processes should be applied to a variety of feedstocks, including agricultural residues and other waste biomass streams. Studies on life cycle assessment and the integration of bioenergy into larger energy systems, such as power grids or district heating networks, are especially valuable as they reveal sustainability and operational challenges. Cutting-edge developments are also highlighted, including biohydrogen production, next-generation biorefineries, innovative waste-to-energy systems, and negative emission technologies such as BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage). Across all these areas, authors are encouraged to address practical considerations of process safety, for example, ensuring safe reactor operation and effective gas handling in biomass conversion facilities, alongside performance improvements.
By advancing biomass energy technologies and systems, this Special Issue aims to contribute to broader societal goals. Bioenergy initiatives inherently support circular economy principles by converting organic waste into valuable energy, and they can spur rural development through new agro-industrial supply chains and green jobs. At the same time, expanding the use of sustainable biomass will directly aid decarbonization efforts by reducing net carbon emissions due to power, heat, and transportation. Interdisciplinary approaches that integrate engineering advancements with techno-economic analysis, policy and regulatory studies, and modelling are highly encouraged. These comprehensive perspectives are essential for identifying and overcoming technical and policy barriers, ensuring that scientific breakthroughs in biomass energy translate into practical solutions for cleaner and more resilient energy systems in the future.
Dr. Carolina Ardila-Suarez
Prof. Dr. Jean-Michel Lavoie
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- bioenergy
- biorefineries
- thermochemical conversion
- biochemical conversion
- waste-to-energy
- BECCS
- biohydrogen
- safety in
- biomass conversion
- decarbonization
- life cycle assessment
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