Alternative forms of fuel are much in demand all over the world and using waste materials to generate fuel is an exciting prospect. Professor David Richardson is a major research partner of “HOOCH” a new venture, co-funded by DEFRA and nine industrial collaborators, in which the British Bioalcohols Group has created a unique UK consortium to develop an East-of England Pilot Plant system on the Norwich Research Park (co-ordinated by Prof Keith Waldron at the IFR) .

This will be used to develop, evaluate and eventually commercialise tailored approaches for converting different sources of food-chain waste lignocellulose from cereals (straw, bran, brewer’s grain) and brassicas (rape straw) into bioalcohols for the automotive and related industries. The pilot plant system will enable the Group to target their multidisciplinary expertise on the creation of sustainable, second generation biofuels.