Biomass-based systems can support the transition to sustainable fuels and materials. Their sustainability, however, depends on feedstock availability and quality, land and ecosystem impacts, supply-chain design, conversion technologies, carbon management, and regional context. Our group evaluates biomass utilization from resource production and supply chains to fuel conversion, end use, and long-term environmental outcomes, with a focus on identifying pathways that can deliver robust environmental and economic benefits while avoiding unintended trade-offs.
Research Themes
Biomass production and residue use can affect soil and forest carbon, land use, and broader ecosystem outcomes. Our research examines these dynamics across agricultural and forest systems, with attention to regional conditions, temporal carbon effects, and interactions between biomass management and ecosystem sustainability.
Biomass supply chains
The environmental and economic performance of bioenergy systems depends strongly on biomass quality, preprocessing, blending, logistics, and biorefinery design. Our group evaluates how feedstock variability and logistics influence the feasibility and sustainability of biomass-based systems, with the goal of supporting more resilient and efficient biomass supply chains.
Biomass conversion and bioenergy systems
Biomass can be converted into fuels, energy carriers, and bioproducts through pathways such as pyrolysis, gasification, and other biomass conversion technologies. Our research evaluates the environmental and economic performance of these conversion systems, including opportunities to produce hydrogen, biomethane, and other low-carbon energy carriers and to integrate biomass conversion with carbon capture or other carbon-management strategies.
Selected Related Publications
Lan, K., Zhang, B., Lee, T., and Yao, Y. (2024). Soil organic carbon change can reduce the climate benefits of biofuel produced from forest residues. Joule, 8(2), 430-449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2023.12.018
Lan, K., Cruz, D., Li, J., Boakye, A.A., Park, H., Tiller, P., Mittal, A., Johnson, D.K., Park, S., and Yao, Y. (2024). Life-cycle assessment of sustainable aviation fuel derived from paper sludge. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 12(22), 8379–8390. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c00795
Garcia-Vallejo, M.C., Rukh, M., Wang, S., et al. (2025). A new approach to improve the economic and environmental attractiveness of biomethane from biomass gasification with redox-activated CO2 sorbents. Chemical Engineering Journal, 167510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.167510
Wu, N., Lan, K., and Yao, Y. (2023). An integrated techno-economic and environmental assessment for carbon capture in hydrogen production by biomass gasification. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 188, 106693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106693
Lan, K., Park, S., Kelley, S.S., English, B., Yu, E., Larson, J., and Yao, Y. (2020). Understanding the effects of feedstock quality uncertainties on the economic feasibilities of fast pyrolysis biorefineries with blended feedstocks and decentralized preprocessing sites in the Southeastern United States. GCB Bioenergy. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12752