Abstract
<jats:p>This chapter examines the potential for producing syngas through biomass gasification using feedstock cultivated on mining-degraded land, with emphasis on post-mining areas undergoing ecological rehabilitation. The analysis focuses on phytomanagement and tolerant energy crops as tools for the productive reuse of marginal land without increasing pressure on fertile agricultural soils. Biomass suitability for thermochemical conversion is assessed in relation to proximate and ultimate composition, lignocellulosic fraction, ash-forming elements, metal content, and operational constraints affecting syngas yield, gas quality, and process stability. Particular attention is given to substrate heterogeneity, contaminant transfer into process streams, gas clean-up requirements, and management of solid residues generated during conversion. The discussion is anchored in the experimental platform developed in the Jiu Valley, where maize, soybean, and sorghum were cultivated on mining-degraded land and evaluated from an energy-recovery perspective. The available results support a syngas-oriented feasibility assessment and indicate that thermochemical conversion may represent a credible valorisation route for biomass produced under such conditions. This interpretation is strengthened by quantitative information on the 5,000 m² Living Lab area, cumulative fresh biomass harvested from the three crops, corrected dry-matter yield, and syngas-related parameters used to interpret the conversion potential of the biomass. At the same time, the chapter emphasizes that the current evidence is more appropriate for screening and comparative assessment than for claiming full technological demonstration. Further validation is therefore required under dedicated gasification, gas-cleaning, and residue-management conditions.</jats:p>