In any mixed feedstock strategy, the transportation of raw materials to the plant is very important. Unlike coal, biomass is difficult and expensive to transport because of its low mass and energy densities (see Table 7.5). Generally, biomass is dispersed over a large area and will require to be trans­ported to a central location from numerous places. Unless the plant is built where a large amount of biomass is easily available, a question of whether to prepare the biomass on site or transport it to a common location from vari­ous sites and then prepare at this common site requires a careful assessment. If biomass is transported a long distance under a natural environment, its biological decay may also occur. The on-site storage of unprepared biomass can lead to its biological decay releasing some heat. Low density of biomass necessitates the requirement of a relatively large storage space for biomass compare to coal.

The transportation and storage of waste materials is also an issue. MSW can be collected and delivered to a common location, but its amount depends on the size of the municipality. For densely populated areas this can work well for a large-size plant; however, for rural locations a supply of sufficient MSW feedstock may become an issue. The same principle applies to paper and pulp, plastic and polymer waste, rubber tires, and so on. In general, bio­mass and waste transportation and storage can be more expensive than that for coal.