Bio-based solid fuels are the oldest and most widely exploited energy sources. Bio-based solid fuels have the potential to approach, if not achieve, net-zero-carbon emissions. Biomass is a “net zero” fuel in that the same carbon atoms pulled from the atmosphere as CO2 are sequestered by the biomass as plant tissue and are re-released as CO2 upon burning. This prevents the addition of CO2 into the atmosphere beyond what is present in the natural carbon cycle. Today’s bio-based solid fuels encompass everything from the raw biomass our ancestors relied upon for heat to thermochemically and biochemically processed biomasses for use as solid fuels in a variety of commercial energy generation scenarios. This chapter summarizes solid biofuel sources, processing, and roles in a future net-zero energy system.

Bio-based solid fuels are the oldest and most widely exploited energy sources. Bio-based solid fuels have the potential to approach, if not achieve, net-zero-carbon emissions. Biomass is a “net zero” fuel in that the same carbon atoms pulled from the atmosphere as CO2 are sequestered by the biomass as plant tissue and are re-released as CO2 upon burning. This prevents the addition of CO2 into the atmosphere beyond what is present in the natural carbon cycle. Today’s bio-based solid fuels encompass everything from the raw biomass our ancestors relied upon for heat to thermochemically and biochemically processed biomasses for use as solid fuels in a variety of commercial energy generation scenarios. This chapter summarizes solid biofuel sources, processing, and roles in a future net-zero energy system.