Biomass has the ability to provide our industrial society with a sustainable source of energy and organic carbon. Chemical conversion is the process of converting biomass into liquid fuels, the most common of which is biodiesel.
Biochemical conversion is the process of breaking down biomass using enzymes from bacteria or other microbes, such as anaerobic digestion, fermentation, or composting. Biomass biochemical conversion technologies relate to the physical, chemical, and biological pretreatments that are used to convert biomass into equivalent products. Biochemical conversion routes, as well as the enzyme catalysts that enable them to work, provide a number of advantages. Biotechnology is a relatively young tool, and new developments are happening all the time.