**3. Materials and methods**

Technologies enabling biomass use for energy generation are mainly dependant on biomass characteristics. Different biomass conversion technologies available on the market include: fixed-bed combustion, combustion on the grate, combustion in dust burners, fluidized bed combustion and gasification [12]. Utilization of agricultural biomass faces a lot of challenges. One of the main disadvantages associated with combustion of agricultural biomass is a ten‐ dency of biomass ash to melt [13]. Two technologies are currently used for the combustion of biomass bales. The first is based on whole-bale combustion in the combustion chamber, while the second considers combustion of biomass bales in so called "cigar" burners. Cigar burner technology was found to be very suitable for straw combustion and was deemed not to be associated with any process limitations. The research investigation described herein was focused on developing a cigar burner combustion system suitable for the combustion of bales of various sizes and shapes and their utilization for energy production.
