A forest fire.

Biomass to X

Follow ASU’s efforts to repurpose excess biomass from forest ecosystems.

Biomass to X

What are we solving?

Across the American West, wildfires are worsening. Decades of fire suppression have led to a build up of small trees, wood and other plant matter on forest floors that can fuel rapid, large-scale fires. This type of biomass has low market value, making it expensive to remove and leaving communities vulnerable. Biomass to X is an approach that creates market-driven solutions, turning waste into valuable products, funding ongoing restoration efforts and boosting rural economies.

See how the model works

Introducing the ASU Biomass to X Initiative in Arizona’s four forest restoration areas.


Thinning operation in forest using wood chopper for the thinned trees.

Supply chain

The Biomass to X supply chain starts in forest ecosystems, working with thinning operations that remove hazardous biomass, and ends with high-value commercial products that then fund ongoing restoration efforts. This approach links harvesting crews and transportation with processing facilities, ensuring a steady and cost-effective flow of material.

By aligning supply with processing capacity and market demands, this initiative creates the level of reliability investors and end-users seek before committing to large-scale production.age.

Commercialization technologies

Biomass to X is technology agnostic and supports any commercially viable process that can turn excess biomass into usable products. Biochar can be used for carbon storage and water filtration, renewable natural gas is utilized in clean energy markets and e-methanol can be applied to low-carbon fuels and other industrial uses. 

These top contenders all have strong market demand and can easily be scaled as part of a comprehensive wildfire mitigation strategy.

Biomass to X

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