Biofuels are sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels because of their renewable and low-cost raw materials, environmentally friendly conversion technologies and low emissions upon combustion. In addition, biofuels can also be upgraded to enhance their fuel properties for wide applicability in power infrastructures. Biofuels can be produced from a wide variety of biomasses through thermochemical and biological conversion processes. This article provides insights into the fundamental and applied concepts of thermochemical conversion methods such as torrefaction, pyrolysis, liquefaction, gasification and transesterification. It is important to understand the physicochemical attributes of biomass resources to ascertain their potential for biofuel production. Hence, the composition and properties of different biomass resources such as lignocellulosic feedstocks, oilseed crops, municipal solid waste, food waste and animal manure have been discussed. The properties of different biofuels such as biochar, bio-oil, bio-crude oil, syngas and biodiesel have been described. The article concludes with an analysis of the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the thermochemical conversion technologies to understand their scale-up applications and commercialization.

Waste biomass has the potential to produce renewable fuels and fine chemicals. Biofuels derived from agricultural, forestry, and energy crop systems are promising resources to address climate change and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. The recent advances in various thermochemical technologies for the conversion of waste biomass to value-added biofuel products are discussed. A summarized outline of thermochemical technologies such as torrefaction, liquefaction, pyrolysis, and gasification is provided. An overview of different types and sources of biomass as well as their physicochemical properties is presented. The thermochemical conversion products and their environmental benefits are considered as well.