Waste biomass pellets for green energy production - A sustainable alternative for energy security

Energy security remains a pressing global challenge, necessitating a transition toward sustainable renewable energy solutions. Waste biomass pellets represent a promising alternative, offering opportunities for energy diversification, carbon-neutral energy generation, and environmental sustainability. This review critically examines the production, utilization, and integration of waste biomass pellets, highlighting technological advances, process parameters, and energy conversion strategies. Key factors, including biomass feedstock type, moisture content, drying, and pelletizing conditions, strongly affect pellet quality, energy density, and storage performance. Thermochemical conversion technologies, such as co-firing, gasification, and pyrolysis, are evaluated for their efficiency, environmental impact, and operational challenges. Despite the benefits, barriers such as feedstock variability, supply chain logistics, and policy gaps hinder widespread adoption. Life cycle assessment and economic analyses indicate that biomass pellets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions at lower costs compared to conventional energy sources. The review identifies knowledge gaps, emphasizes the need for integrated technological, policy, and market strategies, and outlines future research directions to optimize biomass pellet production, enhance energy security, and support sustainable renewable energy transitions globally. • Biomass pellets are renewable and sustainable energy sources. • Significant potential for decentralized energy production. • Biomass pellets are cost-effective and environmentally benign, demonstrating their potential for improving energy security. • Technological advancements are needed for efficient pellet production and energy conversion.