Interest in the use of biomass for non-food applications has grown strongly in recent years, mainly as a consequence of its potential as a prime renewable energy resource. Renewable energies rank highly among the options that will contribute to the prevention of climate change and to security of energy supply in the future. Furthermore, exploiting biomass is very attractive as a way of dealing with two sensitive issues facing the majority of westernEuropean countries today; the extent of unemployment and the setting aside of farm lands to limit excess agricultural production.The 8th European Conference for Energy, Environment, Agriculture and Industry, held in Vienna, October 1994 was larger that any of its predecessors, with over 300 refereed contributions from 20 countries worldwide and over 520 participants. It was arguably the most significant event to date in this field, providing the opportunity for an international exchange of information on the recent progress in developing and implementing renewable biomass based non-food technologies. Published in 3 volumes, the proceedings of this conference therefore contain the most complete overview of the present state-of-the-art. Subjects covered include: biomass resource base, electricity and heat generation, transportation fuels, chemicals from biomass, products from bio- and thermochemical conversion technologies, economics, environmental aspects and opportunities for implementation worldwide, in particular in developing countries.Apart from the numerous contributions on the most recent results in research, development and implementation, the publication also contains authoritative reviews on most of the above-mentioned areas from leading experts in each field. In addition to this, it contains a list of key issues for developing a successful strategy leading to a rapid implementation in Europe and abroad.As a result it is indispensable for anyone working in this area, whether in research, demonstration or in policy development.
