Pyrolysis has been applied in the human economy for many years, and it has become a significant alternative to the production of chemical compounds, including biofuels. The article focuses mostly on recent achievements in the technical and processing aspects of pyrolysis. The aim of the review is to present the latest research on the process of waste biomass pyrolysis to fuel production. The paper describes the mechanisms of the pyrolysis process, composition, and properties of the obtained fractions, namely pyrolysis gas, bio-oil, and biochar. Additionally, the technical aspects of the pyrolysis process are mentioned, with particular attention to the construction of the reactors. The process of waste biomass pyrolysis allows for obtaining many chemical compounds (second-generation biofuels). Optimization of the pyrolysis process allows obtaining the desired products that are applied in the chemical industry, energy, and transport. The application of pyrolysis gas, oil, and biochar as valuable chemical compounds are related to the intensifying effects of climate change, biofuel production, and waste management in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In recent years, there has been large-scale research into the use of renewable energy sources through pyrolysis. This will make it possible to significantly reduce the carbon footprint and produce second-generation biofuels in a sustainable manner. Current research into the mechanisms of pyrolysis processes is promising, and will therefore provide access to clean and low-cost compounds that will have broad applications in the energy, chemical, agricultural, and transportation industries.

The subject matter discussed in the article concerns the problem of the energy transformation of the European Union (EU) countries. In the case of the EU, the energy transformation has specific characteristics due to formal legal and institutional provisions. This means that the member states are obliged to implement the adopted Community Energy Strategy, which was defined under the European Green Deal. According to the EU policy, all member states are to have climate-neutral and zero-gas-emission economies by 2050. The energy transformation is to be largely based on the diversification of the energy sources used, with a dominance of renewable energy sources (RES). The article presents a research problem, where the question was asked whether achieving climate-neutral energy independence based solely on RES is possible at the regional level. It seems that the positive answer is an important argument in the discussion about the possibility of all member states achieving the goals set under the European Green Deal. Additionally, stating the possibility of energy independence from RES for a selected region is an important argument to promote just and bottom-up initiatives in order to carry out the energy transformation more effectively. The assessment of the energy potential from renewable sources at the regional level was carried out on the example of a selected NUTS 2 region, the Greater Poland Voivodeship in Poland. The main objective of the study is to analyze the possibility of obtaining independence from RES by the selected Greater Poland Voivodeship. The implementation of the objective consists of determining the energy potential from RES in the Voivodeship under study on the basis of the methods of a geographic information system (GIS). GIS methods were selected due to the fact that they allow for the spatial positioning of point, line, and surface structures in relation to the potential of RES, thus ensuring high accuracy of the obtained estimates. The analysis carried out in the study shows that the technical potential of RES in the Greater Poland Voivodeship is higher than the current electricity and heat usage. This means that by focusing solely on RES in the region, the Greater Poland Voivodeship can fully meet the energy demand thanks to its green resources. It should be emphasized that the Greater Poland Voivodeship is one of the coal-dependent regions in Poland that has already prepared a structured plan of just transformation. A locally and bottom-up prepared strategy assumes the conversion of the region from a “Coal Energy Region” into a “Green Energy Valley” in which economic development will be strictly connected to RES energy independence.

Pyrolysis has been applied in the human economy for many years, and it has become a significant alternative to the production of chemical compounds, including biofuels. The article focuses mostly on recent achievements in the technical and processing aspects of pyrolysis. This review provides an overview of the recent advanced pyrolysis technology used in gas, bio-oil, and biochar production. The key parameters to maximize the production of specific chemical compounds were discussed and considered during the construction of the reactors. The emphasis is put on optimizing the process parameters, technical requirements, and renewable energy use in the process and conception to improve the efficiency of product production. The application of pyrolysis gas, oil, and biochar as valuable chemical compounds are related to the intensifying effects of climate change, biofuel production, and waste management in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

Rapeseed cake biochar was produced by pyrolysis at 973.15 K for 2 h, in anoxic conditions. Porous structure, specific surface area and die composition of waste rapeseed cake were studied. The specific surface area of rapeseed cake biochar was 166.99 m²·g⁻¹, which exceeded most other biochars reported, which made it an attractive material during wastewater treatment. The SEM study of the material demonstrated a large number of pores formed on the cell wall, with a pore volume V_p = 0.08 cm³·g⁻¹. The results indicate lower aromaticity and increased polarity of the tested material. The observed H/C ratio of 0.29 is similar for activated carbons. Furthermore, sorption properties of the obtained carbon material in relation to copper(II), zinc(II) and arsenic(III) ions were also studied. Moreover, the impact of parameters such as: sorption time, temperature, adsorbate concentration, sorbent mass and solution pH on the efficiency of the adsorption process of the studied cations was also examined. Sorption studies revealed that the sorbent can be successfully used for the separation of Cu(II) and Zn(II) from technological wastewaters. Rapeseed cake biochar exhibits superior Cu(II) adsorption capacity (52.2 mg·g⁻¹) with a short equilibrium time (6 h). The experimental data collected show a high selectivity of the obtained carbon material relative to copper(II) and zinc(II) ions in the presence of arsenic(III) ions.