TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: 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. The step of heating the heat transfer fluid involves inducing a phase change in the heat transfer fluid. The method (m1) further involves: providing heat from the reacted torrefaction gas to a heat engine; and generating electricity from a heat engine. The electricity is sufficient to operate the apparatus as a stand-alone apparatus. The method (m1) further involves providing heat from the heat transfer fluid to the heat engine. The step of drying the biomass produces biomass drying steam, and the method further involves providing heat from the biomass drying steam to the heat engine. The method (m1) 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. The torrefying, drying, and cooling occurs with the biomass in a non-oxidizing gas, where the non-oxidizing gas are provided from torrefying, drying and/or cooling the biomass. The cooling includes injecting steam or water into the cooling biomass to provide purge gas to the apparatus. The exothermically reacting the 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 method (m1) further involves 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 exothermically reacting the torrefaction gases, and heating the heat transfer fluid. The least partially drying the biomass includes drying the biomass to a moisture content of 10-25%. The torrefying includes heating the biomass at less than 350 degrees C. The method (m1) further involves washing the biomass prior to drying the biomass; and further controlling the moisture content of biomass prior to drying by washing the biomass. The method (m2) further involves torrefying the biomass 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. In the method (m2), where the heating the heat transfer fluid includes inducing a phase change in the heat transfer fluid. The method (m2) further involves: providing heat from the reacted torrefaction gas to a heat engine; and generating electricity from a heat engine. In the method (m2), where the electricity is sufficient to convert biomass into a coal-like biofuel in a stand-alone apparatus. Preferred Components: The heat engine is a Rankine cycle engine. The heat transfer fluid is a mixture of biphenyl (C12H10), diphenyl oxide (C12H10O), poly-phenyls, and their halogenated derivatives. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.