New UK Public-Private Initiative to Develop Fuels and Chemicals Through Biorefining
07 August 2008
A new research initiative, bringing together the UK’s main public funder of bioscience research with 10 companies, intends to accelerate development of technologies required for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals through biorefining.
The Integrated Biorefinery Technologies Initiative (IBTI) Club is being led by the UK’s main public funder of bioscience research—the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). BBSRC will be working with the Bioscience for Business Knowledge Transfer Network and the founder company members of the IBTI Club: Biocaldol, BP Biofuels UK, British Sugar, Croda, Danisco A/S Genencor, Green Biologics, AHDB-HGCA, KWS UK, Syngenta and TMO Renewables.
The IBTI Club will award around £5 million (US$9.7 million), a mixture of BBSRC funds and company contributions, to researchers to investigate basic bioscience with the potential to solve some of the issues the sector currently faces.
To deliver the potential of new biorefining technology the IBTI Club will fund research to:
Maximize the yield of the biomass going into a biorefinery and the quality and quantity of product produced.
Develop integrated bioprocessing techniques to remove bottlenecks from current systems and to extract the most valuable compounds from refined feedstocks.
Maximize the value of by-products from the biorefining process to increase the economic viability of the process.
The IBTI Club will run for 5 years and will have two calls for proposals. The first call for research projects is being made today.
The research club forms one part of BBSRC’s wider bioenergy investment strategy. In the coming months the Council will announce funding in second-generation bioenergy research that will bring its commitments in this area to around £25 million (US$48.7 million). BBSRC’s funding is aimed at building capacity and expertise in this area of research to enable the UK to capitalize on the second-generation of bioenergy.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £420 million (US$818 million) in a wide range of research.
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There is now a critical mass of R&D into both biofuels, Energy Storage devices and various new forms of electrolyzing/catalyzing chemistry. It's reasonable to expect practical prototypes and pilot projects to online in the next two years. While that time frame is short - there is a rush happening right now between large and small energy factors. This rush will shake out not only which systems survive - but those that will not.
Under fire at this time is the entire hydrocarbon cycle. Also being tested for relevance is traditional liquid fuel distribution, electrical distribution, electrical generation, alternatives like wind, wave and solar. Each of these systems and technologies is under pressure to deliver cogent reasons for their survival. With the exception of electrification of transport (not including heavy transport) - each must reveal their best ability to compete under the new Declaration of Global Energy Independence. Some, having sat on a shelf for the past several decades - will be seen for the first time.
As is want in this contestable world, the starter flag waves, and a solemn voice cries, "Let the games begin!"
Posted by: Sulleny | 07 August 2008 at 08:42 AM
Interesting times for sure,
By way of observation, the 'new' technologies are mainly extensions of old knowledge as is the custom.
Sure there are new imperatives and enabling factors From education, experience, economics and imperative.
New opportunities and markets are coming on stream for sure but the last factor both environmental and supply restrictions ( a wicked problem ) is not to be underestimated.
Technology doesn't progress at any predictable or determinable rate, history tells us it mainly follows its own path and time frame. Even while we are aware of the issues and seeing concerted efforts.
This leaves much room for social design (urban planning etc) to assist in pathing a meaningful future.
Posted by: arnold | 07 August 2008 at 07:13 PM
The sun has shown us the way. Use nuclear energy. Don't burn coal, oil or gas; use them to produce plastics and other chemicals. The energy grid should be electric and underground. Direct current should be used at a few thousand volts for distribution to houses where an outside inverter produces voltages for standard equipment. Much higher voltages can be used for mains. Most underground conductors can be made of plastic tubes filled with cheap sodium metal. Even steel can be used because the extra weight compared to copper is well supported by the earth. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 12 August 2008 at 01:03 AM