Its research areas are bioheat, biofuel, giogas and sustainable assessments.

The Centre's researchers work with the production of biomass from wood to its conversion into bioheat and with the production of biogas from organic material like food waste, manure and municipal sludge. Expertise is put together for value chain projects which form the basis for sustainable analyses. The Centre cooperates with other research environments on specific technologies for the conversion of biomass into energy.

The Centre combines expertise from biology, technology, finance and the market and makes cost-efficient energy solutions. The Centre documents the societal, environmental and economic consequences of the conversion of biomass into energy.

One of Norways's Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research

Together with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Sintef Energy Research, the Norwegian Centre for Bioenergy Research has been appointed as one of eight of Norway's Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research. This national centre is called Bioenergy Innovation Centre (CenBio). UMB is the host institution of CenBio.

CenBio constitutes the national research team within stationary use of bioenergy. Eighteen bioenergy companies are partners. CenBio concentrates on three tasks; to increase the volume of biomass produced in Norway for energy purpose, to improve the efficiency of biomass to energy conversion technology, and to improve the profitability of the bioenergy business.