Enviro News Asia, Manila – Researchers from the Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) have published findings on how raw and carbonized Philippine giant bamboo respond to heat and combustion, advancing the scientific understanding of bamboo as a renewable biomass fuel.
The study, published in Advances in Bamboo Science, an Elsevier-published international journal ranked Quartile 1 in the SCImago Journal Rank, investigated how carbonization alters the material’s composition and affects its stability, breakdown patterns, and energy content.
Results showed clear differences between raw and carbonized bamboo. Raw bamboo breaks down and burns more readily, making it better suited for processes requiring rapid energy release such as fast pyrolysis. Carbonized bamboo, by contrast, is more heat-resistant, requires higher temperatures to ignite, and exhibits a more controlled combustion process, making it more appropriate for stable solid fuel applications such as charcoal-based energy systems.
DOST-FPRDI researcher Engr. Celine Rose S. Jimenez-Hopia said a better understanding of these properties can contribute to developing high-value bamboo applications, noting that the data can help improve the design of biomass energy systems and maximize bamboo’s energy potential.
DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said studies of this kind help inform future innovations and strengthen the country’s capacity to develop renewable energy solutions. “In the transition to more sustainable energy systems, investments in technology go hand in hand with a strong foundation of scientific knowledge,” he said.
DOST-FPRDI Director Rico J. Cabangon stressed the agency’s commitment to making its research more accessible, saying publication in reputable journals allows the institute to share knowledge with the broader scientific community while increasing visibility and impact.
In 2025, the institute published 24 scientific papers in local and international journals, with several receiving recognition at the DOST Intellectual Property Awards. (*)
