Research to develop chemical supplies for industry
24 Jan 2013
Grants from the EPSRC and BBSRC are aiming to advance sustainable processes in industry
Five new research projects are planning to focus on how to develop cost-effective production of chemicals and materials from sustainable and renewable raw materials.
The projects have been awarded £11.8 million by two research councils - the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) £10.7 million and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) £1.1 million.
The programmes involve university consortia across the engineering, physical and biological sciences and will also look into how these new feedstocks can be brought into future manufacturing processes.
The institutions involved are the University of Bath, UCL, Imperial College London and Durham University.
The grants were announced this week at the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum (IBLF) showcase event held at Church House Conference Centre, Westminster, London
Welcoming the news, Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts said: “Scientific research is crucial to the developing alternatives to fossil based resources.
“The need to develop new chemicals, that are both sustainable and viable in our manufacturing processes, is pressing. It also presents us with opportunities to use our world class research base to accelerate the pace of change and deliver scientific and economic impact.”
Details of the projects involved:
| Principal Investigator and grant reference | Holding organisation | Grant title | Grant value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Davidson EP/K014889/1 | University of Bath | Terpene-based manufacturing for sustainable chemical feedstocks | £2.8m (including 20% BBSRC) |
| Gary J Lye EP/K014897/1 | UCL | Bio-derived feedstocks for sustainable, UK-based manufacture of pharmaceuticals and their intermediates | £1.9m (including 30% BBSRC) |
| Tom Welton EP/K014676/1 | Imperial College London | Ionic liquid biorefining of lignocellulose to sustainable ploymers | £2.5m |
| David Chadwick EP/K014749/1 | Imperial College London | Catalyic routes to intermediates for sustainable processes | £2.4m |
| Phil Dyer EP/K014900/1 | Durham University | Processing pipeline for the sustained production of ensiled macroalgae-derived hydrocarbon | £2.4m |
