In our contribution we have compared advantages and disadvantages of four different methods for biomass (wood) thermal pretreatment and grinding for feeding of the biomass-fuel to pressurized entrained flow gasifier. The four methods of pretreatment and feeding involve drying, torrefaction. flash pyrolysis and dissolution of wood in organic solvents. The resulting fuels after pretreatment are compared in terms of heating value. grinding energy needed, overall efficiency of conversion (from raw biomass to fuel), auxiliary energy needed, fluidization properties, pneumatic feeding properties, pumping, viscosity and possible changes of properties of liquids/slurry, storage. microbial attack, emissions from thermal pretreatment and overall integration with pressurized entrained flow gasification. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.