Torrefaction is a thermal treatment with the temperature higher than drying but lower than carbonisation. This treatment produce wood with different properties than untreated wood due to chemical modification. In France, this treatment in the beginning has been studied for energy purpose then later it has been developed for improving the quality of wood as lumber. Some research conducted in CIRAD show that torrefaction can be utilize as alternative treatment for improving the quality of wood in term of durability and dimensional stability although it reduces some mechanical properties. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of wood torrefaction which include torrefied wood properties identification, the review of development of its technologies and its market opportunities in Europe.