The Chinese government has agreed to raise investment in biomass technology. It plans to finish 120 biomass-fired boiler demonstration projects by 2015. Biomass is defined as biological material－generally farm or forestry byproducts－that can be used directly via combustion to produce heat or indirectly after conversion to various forms of biofuel. The pilot projects, valued at CNY5 billion, will be built across the country but with a focus on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta, which are noted for concentrations of heavy smog and haze. The projects’ completion will provide energy equivalent to 1.2 million metric tons of coal and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5 million tons. The program aims to build an entire industrial chain from fuel collection to biomass furnace construction. Simon Parker, CEO of DP CleanTech, an international biomass solutions provider and a newcomer in China’s biomass market, said biomass will play a bigger role in the renewable agenda in China. He said the natural resource that comes from an estimated 800 million tons of agricultural and forestry waste is the biggest available fuel source in the world today. “The potential in China is massive, and the only place with similar potential is Brazil,” he said, forecasting a continued growth rate of 40% to 50% in China’s biomass market in the next five years, the China Daily reports.