UK funding sets out to produce green fuel for transport from waste

Supported by UK government funding, household waste, unused straw from farmland and old wood will reportedly be amongst the components used by four UK-based plants to produce greener fuels for transport.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “Whether you’re commuting to work or travelling on a family getaway, we want that journey to be as green and environmentally friendly as possible. This funding will help encourage innovative technology using today’s waste to power tomorrow’s green transport revolution, helping us reach a cleaner and greener future.”

Future of Transport Minister, George Freeman, added: “We made a legally binding commitment to reaching Net Zero. Now we are delivering. The UK is reducing CO2 emissions faster than any other G20 nation. We are doing it by investing in research and development, supporting the uptake of low emission and electrical vehicles, new inner-city Clean Air Zones and the world’s first comprehensive Transport Decarbonisation Plan.”

KEW Projects and Rika Biogas have been awarded a share £6.5 million in funding to build plants which aim to provide fuel for heavy goods vehicles. The project at KEW will also allegedly begin research which could develop low carbon aviation fuel. 

A further two projects, which are being funded under the £25 million Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Competition (ABDC), are also driving towards their final stages of development. This includes Nova Pangaea Technologies, who will focus on the production of bio-ethanol from wood waste that can be blended with existing petrol used in road transport.