Researchers in China have published the results of a study that the group said provides an efficient catalytic approach to directly transfer solid biomass into natural gas, while enabling the gas to have a low-carbon footprint.

The researchers said bio-natural gas produced from the hydrogen combined with lignocellulosic biomass could be used at power plants, and would have applications for transportation and other industries. The group said it could be transported using existing pipeline infrastructure.

China’s Biomass Energy Industry Promotion Association (BEIPA) last year reported that the country annually produces more than 900 million tons of agricultural and forestry biomass. BEIPA officials said the biomass could generate power equal to that from about 400 million tons of coal, and said the figure is higher when including organic waste from urban and rural areas.

The study, supported by several entities including the Natural Science Foundation of China and published in January by the scientific journal Nature Communications, provides what the group calls new guidance for the catalytic transformation of raw biomass.…

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