MIT researchers scaling down torrefaction technology so small farmers can use it

In Massachusetts, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working with torrefaction to help small farmers be able to use the technology to produce fuel. Their project is a reactor that uses torrefaction to densify biomass, making it transportable and increasing its shelf life. Torrefaction technology has been used at the industrial scale for more than a century, but it remains inaccessible to farmers in remote regions of the world. Another advantage of torrefaction is that it takes place in a closed, energy-efficient loop. The biomass releases combustible gases that are used to generate the required heat, making the process self-powering.