Gasification is a process that converts
organic or
fossil fuel based
carbonaceous materials into
carbon monoxide,
hydrogen and
carbon dioxide. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures (>700 °C), without combustion, with a controlled amount of
oxygen and/or
steam. The resulting gas mixture is called
syngas (from synthesis gas or synthetic gas) or
producer gas and is itself a fuel. The power derived from gasification and combustion of the resultant gas is considered to be a source of
renewable energy if the gasified compounds were obtained from biomass.