SCIENTISTS at Teesside University are investigating how to produce biofuels from waste.
Dr Komang Ralebitso-Senior, senior lecturer in molecular biology, and a team of six researchers are examining if biofuels can be produced from domestic refuse and sewage sludge.
It would help avoid the risk of food crops being replaced by energy crops, particularly in poorer countries.
The team is studying anaerobic digestion, a system which uses naturally occurring micro-organisms to break down waste and produce bio-gas.
Dr Ralebitso-Senior said that although anaerobic digestion was an established process already used by some waste-to-energy companies, its full potential had still to be realised.
She said: “We can produce most biofuels using crops, but the big issue is whether the land could be used for food instead. The loss of agricultural crops is a major concern.
“This work has significant potential because it can produce a biofuel which is truly sustainable."
Teesside’s Centre for Process Innovation, based at Wilton, is supporting the PhD programme associated with the work.
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