A convenient approach to employ an elliptic load-deformation elastoplastic approximation has been proposed and used to evaluate the mechanical behavior of pinewood biofuel pellets from lab-scale compressive load-deformation measurements. Verification of model predictions has been attempted against apparent finite element method based simulations. A database of essential mechanical properties has been established. This submission is intended as a model for being able to study the deformation and breakage behavior using lab-scale compression tests. (C) 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.