Woody Biofuels: Past, Present and Future

Wood – and all other plant biomass – is ultimately the product of photosynthesis in living plants. The sun’s energy is combined with carbon dioxide (CO2) and water to form simple sugars. These sugars are then converted biochemically in trees to form wood. While wood is a remarkably durable and potentially long-lasting biomaterial, the sunlight energy can be released (along with the CO2 and water) when we want to use wood as a fuel. This fact sheet briefly describes some of the major uses of wood as a fuel.