Biomass Densification: A Review of the Current State-of-the-Art of the Pellet Market and Analysis of New Research Trends/Densificación de Biomasa: Una Revisión al Estado Actual del Mercado de Pellets y Análisis de Nuevas Tendencias en Investigación

The growing consumption of energy and the goals established in the COP21 to diminish greenhouse gases have been bases for the development of energy industries that use renewable sources. Biomass pellets have become interesting alternatives due to their physicochemical characteristics and advantages over traditional wood. This document sought to conduct a review of the behavior of the international market, emphasizing on the principal producer and consumer countries, prices of biofuel commercialization, as well as the different research trends related to this market. The European Union has become the principal market for biomass pellets with 94% growth in the last decade, sale prices around 200 and 250 [euro]/t and an increasing need to import these biofuels. Research has focused mainly on four big areas, like pellet quality, new materials, market analysis, and combustion characteristics of the pellets. Understanding these research trends and knowing the existing market can permit the development of the currently inexistent Colombian industry for the use of this type of biofuel