TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The low-temperature drying section channel screw transporter and the high-temperature drying section channel screw transporter are a full blade screw transporter, a ribbon blade screw transporter and a perforated blade screw transporter. The torrefaction screw transporter is a ribbon blade screw transporter, optionally equipped with blade extensions. The cooling section channel transporter is a full screw blade transporter. In the apparatus, at least one of at least part the low-temperature drying section channel, at least part of the high-temperature drying section channel and at least part of the torrefaction section channel are cylindrically shaped or U-shaped, and further at least one of at least another part the low-temperature drying section channel, at least another part of the high-temperature drying section channel and at least another part of the torrefaction section channel are cylindrically shaped. The thermal energy transfer system comprises a gas transport system and a gas transporter, where the gas transport system comprises a first gas connection between the torrefaction section off-gas combustor and a torrefaction channel heat exchanger of the torrefaction channel, a second gas connection between the torrefaction channel heat exchanger and the low-temperature drying section and a third gas connection between the torrefaction channel heat exchanger and the high-temperature drying section. The gas transporter is arranged downstream of the torrefaction channel heat exchanger and upstream of the low-temperature drying section and the high-temperature drying section, where the gas transport system further comprises a conditioning gas inlet, and the gas transporter comprises a blower, ventilator or pump. The second gas connection between the torrefaction channel heat exchanger and the low-temperature drying section connects the torrefaction channel heat exchanger and a low-temperature drying section channel heat exchanger and the low-temperature drying section channel, where the third gas connection between the torrefaction channel heat exchanger and the high-temperature drying section connects the torrefaction channel heat exchanger and a high-temperature drying section channel heat exchanger and the high-temperature drying section channel. The apparatus comprises a low-temperature dryer comprising the low-temperature drying section, a high-temperature dryer comprising the high-temperature drying section, a torrefaction unit comprising the torrefaction section, and a cooler comprising the cooling section. The apparatus further comprises: a grinding section, arranged upstream of the low-temperature drying section; a lock arranged downstream of the high-temperature drying section and upstream of the torrefaction section, where the lock comprises at least two oppositely arranged rotators with a non-zero distance to each other, where the lock is configured to transport dried biomass from the high-temperature drying section to the torrefaction section, and the lock is configured to inhibit gas flow from one section to the other; and a pelletizing section, arranged downstream of the cooling section, and configured to pelletize product emanating from the cooling section, where the torrefaction section off-gas combustor comprises a first burner configured to burn at least part of the off-gas of the torrefaction section, and a auxiliary burner, and the off-gas combustor comprises a central section with the first burner, an at least partly circumferentially arranged section with the auxiliary burner and a mutual exit section. The off-gas combustor comprises an inlet for torrefaction section off-gas upstream of the first burner.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The biomass comprises agricultural waste, or straw or hay. In the process, at least part of the thermal energy is transferred from the combustion process to the torrefying process, where at least part of the remaining thermal energy is transferred from the torrefying process to the low-temperature drying process and high-temperature drying process. The process further comprises grinding the biomass before subjecting to the low-temperature drying process, and pelletizing the cooled torrefied biomass to provide pelletized torrefied biomass where at least 80 wt.% have dimensions of 0.1 mm to 10 cm. The biomass before the low-temperature drying process has a water content of 5-25 wt.%, preferably 5-20 wt.%. In the process, the apparatus is applied.