Biomass combustion technologies burn a variety of biomass fuels, including wood, crop remnants, wood pulp and chips, and municipal solid waste. These materials are difficult to burn efficiently in conventional furnaces because of several inherent properties, including overall low heating value, low fixed carbon, and higher moisture content.

A boiler is a better choice for burning biomass because it transfers the heat of combustion into steam. It is also a cleaner reaction when it comes to agricultural waste-in conventional combustion systems potassium and sodium compounds contained in plant matter react with other elements during combustion, creating slag deposits; this is not generally a problem for biomass boilers.