Supergen Bioenergy Hub

📢 We are delighted to share the six innovative projects which have been successfully funded through the first round of the Supergen Bioenergy Hub Flexible Funding Call on biomass to bio-based products: ✅ Sustainable insulation oil for power transformers via biomass pyrolysis – University of Lincoln ✅ De-risking negative carbon biomass-based ammonia – Aston University ✅ Biomass-derived functional textile polymers to replace ‘forever chemicals’ – Loughborough University ✅ Machine-learning model for evaluating bioplastics precursors – University of Nottingham ✅ Exploring R&D, sustainability, and scale-up of glycerol-to-X (G2X) – The University of Manchester ✅ Biochar-based functional materials for carbon applications – Durham University These projects, led by UK-based academic institutions, are undertaking key research aimed at addressing this demand for sustainable biomass solutions. Read all about the projects here: https://lnkd.in/e-cRBQ3J We run flexible funding calls to support research aligned with industry and stakeholder priorities. If you would like to learn more, visit our Hub Funding page: https://lnkd.in/ezpU3pnP Amirpiran Amiri, Ioanna Dimitriou, Amir Badiee, Anna Croft, Jesús Esteban Serrano, @Kumar Vijayalakshmi Shivaprasad  #SustainableInnovation #Bioenergy #Biomass #BioBasedProducts #SupergenBioenergyHub #FlexibleFunding #ResearchFunding

A great opportunity for students and early career researchers to get involved in this year’s United Nations FAO Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Youth Award in Uganda! #international #research #bioenergy. Read more about the GBEP Youth Award and be inspired by Czaneil Gomez, last year’s winner and her work on a rice straw biogas pilot facility in Laguna, Philippines. Her research highlights the potential of rice straw as a sustainable bioenergy source, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the agricultural circular economy. https://lnkd.in/dvjTMbqU

📃 New article on Chitosan-Based Biocomposite Hydrogels with Squid Pen Protein for Anionic Dyes Adsorption authored by Pedro Nakasu Imperial College London in the American Chemical Society Materials Letters

Last week, Jason Hallett presented our report on bio-based chemicals and how biomass can contribute to the defossilisation of the chemicals industry at the Bio360 Expo in Nantes. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ex_kAnJu

📃 The Carbon for Chemicals report is available to download here: https://lnkd.in/e7nwMsya 🧪 Many products in modern society contain carbon. Pharmaceuticals, plastics, textiles, food additives, cosmetics, and cleaning products contain organic, carbon-based chemicals. These chemicals are derived from fossil feedstocks (i.e., they are petrochemicals), contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Carbon is embedded in organic chemical products and released when they break down at end-of-life, for example, through incineration. While demand for fossil fuels in energy is expected to fall in the coming decades, the petrochemicals sector is set to grow significantly. Yet the climate impact of carbon-based chemicals has yet to receive significant attention. To fully address the emissions associated with the chemical system, including those stemming from the carbon in chemicals, systemic change will be required, including moving to a more circular economy, managing supply and demand levels, and transitioning away from fossil feedstocks. Carbon-based chemicals cannot be decarbonised but can be defossilised through a transition to renewable carbon sources such as biomass, recycled carbon, and carbon dioxide. This report presents evidence on bio-based chemicals and materials, to improve understanding, support policy development, and identify evidence gaps and areas where further research is required.

A few photos from the very successful and enjoyable SHARE event for early career researchers earlier this week. Our fantastic SHARE Committee members Collette Larkin, Dan Abudu and Akshay Bagde delivered sessions on the Three Minute Thesis competition and research impact. Our kind hosts at the University of Leeds - Daya Pandey, Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero and Andy Ross - gave the ECRs an overview of their research activities, and organised insightful lab tours covering everything from microalgae and AD, to thermal analysis, advanced biofuels testing and engine labs. Director of the Institute of Thermalfluids Mark Wilson gave a closing address. Thank you to everyone involved in organising and contributing to this event.

Thank you to Drax Group for hosting the SHARE Network site visit to their biomass power plant in Selby yesterday. It was a fantastic opportunity to witness firsthand how Drax Group is navigating the challenges of energy security, sustainability and decarbonisation. We started with a safety presentation session followed by a brief history of their journey from coal to 100% biomass feedstocks for electricity generation. We toured different parts of the plant including the control centre for all six units producing electricity. We also saw the site for Drax’s carbon capture pilot plant. #BECCS We were also guided through their complex supply chains where they source forest biomass pellets from Canada and USA and ship to the UK to provide 24/7 electricity production. Thank you to everyone who hosted us and shared their valuable insights and knowledge. Dan Abudu Akshay Bagde Collette Larkin Michael Gargaro Heidi Teran Pradilla Spiridon (Spiros) Siouris Czaneil Gomez Dwica Wulandari

Our policy fellow Freya Horsfield, Ph.D. has been attending and presenting at the BBNet Phase II NIBB industrial biotechnology collaboration workshop today with colleagues from across industry, policy and academia.

Watch Patricia Thornley on BBC News Midlands Today talking about biomass boilers in council housing and the problems with wood pellets supply: https://lnkd.in/eWN-BFp (evening news 03/02/25 - segment from start; watch Patricia from 03:45).

We had a great afternoon taking a tour of the enfinium energy-from-waste (efw) plant in Ferrybridge, as part of the SHARE Network for early career researchers event today. The plant takes waste that would otherwise go to landfill and combusts it for power into the grid, while recovering and recycling useful metals and ash. Their efw carbon capture pilot plant - the first in the UK - is providing the data that will help them achieve their vision of decarbonisation with negative emissions. Thank you to Mike Maudsley and all the enfinium team for hosting us and being so generous with their time and knowledge. #efw #ccs Patricia Thornley YUANTING QIAO Amin Osatiashtiani Veit Schagon Isabel Pazmiño Mayorga Saleh Alfaleh Eleanor Borrill Shadi Samizadeh Sasha Rabiner Ahmed Radwan Siqi Xu Catriona Heaton