TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Apparatus: In the apparatus (A1), the heat exchanger has a dryer section and a torrefaction section and includes outputs for recovering water from the biomass prior to the biomass entering the torrefaction section and outputs for the torrefaction gases. The apparatus (A1) further comprises a heat engine (preferably Rankine cycle engine) to generate electricity from heat extracted from the condensation of the heat transfer fluid. The electricity is sufficient to operate the apparatus as a stand-alone apparatus. In the apparatus (A2) the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, and further comprises a closed-loop heat transfer circuit having a heat transfer fluid; a second heat exchanger having an input for accepting biomass from the first heat exchanger, a first output for providing torrefied biomass, a second output for providing torrefaction gases, and a surface in contact with condensing heat transfer fluid of the heat transfer circuit for condensing the heat transfer fluid; and a chemical reactor for extracting chemical energy from the torrefaction gases and boiling the heat transfer fluid. The electricity is sufficient to operate the apparatus as a stand-alone apparatus. The heat engine is Rankine cycle engine. In the apparatus (A1) and (A2), substantially all of the gases in the heat exchanger are provided from drying and/or torrefying the biomass; and the chemical reactor is a catalytic combustor, and a substantial portion of the chemical reactor is in indirect contact with a liquid phase of the heat transfer fluid.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The step (A) of torrefying biomass includes heating the biomass to less than 350 degrees C. The step (B) of exothermically reacting the torrefaction gas reacts the gas in a catalytic combustor. A substantial portion of the combustor is in indirect contact with a liquid phase of the heat transfer fluid. The step (C) of heating of the heat transfer fluid includes inducing a phase change in the heat transfer fluid. The method (M1) further involves at least partially drying the biomass utilizing heat by extracting heat from the heat transfer fluid, to produce steam, and extracting steam separately from the torrefaction gases, such that drying the biomass produces biomass drying steam, and the method further involves providing heat from the biomass drying steam to the heat engine, or further involves cooling the torrefied biomass by heating water to form biomass cooling steam, and providing heat from the biomass cooling steam to the heat engine, and providing an oxygen depleted gas to the biomass in the heat exchanger, where the oxygen depleted gas is substantially obtained from steam and/or torrefaction gases, and further exothermically reacting the torrefaction gases, and heating the heat transfer fluid; and providing heat from the reacted torrefaction gas to a heat engine (preferably Rankine cycle engine), and generating electricity from a heat engine, where the electricity is sufficient to operate the apparatus as a stand-alone apparatus, and further providing heat from the heat transfer fluid to the heat engine. The torrefying, drying, and cooling occur with the biomass in a non-oxidizing gas, where the non-oxidizing gas is provided from torrefying, drying and/or cooling the biomass. At least partially drying the biomass includes drying the biomass to a moisture content of 10-25%. The cooling of biomass includes injecting steam or water into the cooling biomass to provide purge gas to the apparatus. The method (M1) further involves washing the biomass prior to drying the biomass, and controlling the moisture content of biomass prior to drying by washing the biomass. The method (M1a) further involves torrefying the biomass by utilizing heat by extracting heat from a heat transfer fluid of a closed-loop heat transfer circuit, where the torrefying produces a torrefaction gas and the biofuel; exothermically reacting the torrefaction gas; and heating the heat transfer fluid from the reacted torrefaction gas, which induces a phase change in the heat transfer fluid; and providing heat from the reacted torrefaction gas to a heat engine, and generating electricity from a heat engine, where the electricity is sufficient to convert biomass into a coal-like biofuel in a stand-alone apparatus. Preferred Components: The heat transfer fluid is a mixture of biphenyl (C12H10), diphenyl oxide (C12H10O), poly-phenyls, and their halogenated derivatives. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.