Clean solid biofuel production from high moisture content waste biomass employing hydrothermal treatment

Our society currently faces three challenges, including resource depletion, waste accumulation and environmental degradation, leading to rapidly escalating raw material costs and increasingly expensive and restrictive waste disposal legislation. This work aims to produce clean solid biofuel from high moisture content waste biomass (bio-waste) with high nitrogen (N)/chlorine (Cl) content by mild hydrothermal (HT) conversion processes. The newest results are summarized and discussed in terms of the mechanical dewatering and upgrading, dechlorination, denitrification and coalification resulting from the HT pretreatment. Moreover, both the mono-combustion and co-combustion characteristics of the solid fuel are reviewed by concentrating on the pollutants emission control, especially the NO emission properties. In addition, the feasibility of this HT solid biofuel production process is also discussed in terms of “Energy Balance and economic viability”. As an alternative to dry combustion/dry pyrolysis/co-combustion, the HT process, combining the dehydration and decarboxylation of a biomass to raise its carbon content aiming to achieve a higher calorific value, opens up the field of potential feedstock for lignite-like solid biofuel production from a wide range of nontraditional renewable and plentiful wet agricultural residues, sludge and municipal wastes. It would contribute to a wider application of HT pretreatment bio-wastes for safe disposal and energy recycling.