Edinburgh University, Acta win funds to accelerate catalyst project
22 May 2007
London -- Catalyst development company Acta and the University of Edinburgh have gained a £175,000 Carbon Trust grant to develop a process to convert greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) to liquid fuel. The project is scheduled to last two years and has been costed at £313,000 overall.
According to Acta, the project aims to produce fuels such as mixed alcohols or methanol that can be readily used as transport fuel, either alone or blended with petrol or diesel. The technology, it claims could save up to 8 million tonnes of CO2 per annum in the UK alone.
Acta’s role in the project will be to synthesise and screen novel catalysts. The University’s School of Engineering and Electronics and the School of Chemistry will seek to optimise the conditions of the electrochemical conversion process. The work will be carried out by Dr Dimitri Mignard and his team in Edinburgh, supported by Acta scientists.
AIM-listed Acta SpA manufactures platinum-free catalysts for the portable electronics and renewables markets. The company’s Hypermec products, which are produced via a patented manufacturing process, are claimed to perform as effectively as expensive platinum catalysts.
“The University of Edinburgh has extensive experience in process design and development, and is well placed to assist in commercialisation of any project success through its contacts with SUPERGEN and the European energy industry,” said Toby Woolrych, chief operating officer of Acta.
“We are excited by Acta's breakthrough catalyst technology and are delighted to be working with Acta on this innovative and important project,” added Dr Colin Pritchard, the University of Edinburgh’s principal investigator on the programme.
