Handbook of Biofuels Production, 2nd Edition

15.4. Gasification technology

Coal gasification is a mature technology and gasification reactors have been commercially available for decades. Unfortunately, most of the gasification reactors used for conversion of fossil fuels are not suitable for biomass processing. This is due to the different physical and chemical properties of coals and biomass; mainly the high alkali content and the high volatile content, which gives rise to a relatively high amount of tars. Many technical aspects which require detailed solutions are still needed in order to ensure reliable and cost-effective operation of biomass gasification. Consequently, this is not a mature technology and in most markets, it cannot compete against other energy conversion technologies, ...