Biorenewables Development Centre

Dr Mark Gronnow working with biomass

The Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) recognises that the demonstration of technologies at scale is crucial to attracting industrial interest and inward investment. Furthermore, we believe the integration of green chemistry with white biotechnology and pre-treatment technology such as the well-established densification and novel ammonia fibre expansion.

Opened in 2011, the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) is an open-access R&D centre working at the interface between academia and industry to develop, scale-up and help commercialise bio-based products and processes. The BDC is a multi-functional space allowing work to be carried out using semi-scale equipment for microwave pyrolysis, supercritical CO2 extraction, ammonia fibre expansion and fermentation alongside all the necessary pre-treatment apparatus.

The facility enables us to:

Conduct world leading research on the valorisation of biomass wastes
Optimize process conditions for the preparation of materials, liquid fuel (intermediate), solid fuel and chemical products
Develop and improve design of biorefinery processing equipment developed within the GCCE
Prove processes in continuous mode and generate multi kilogram quantities of products
Produce products and intermediates for testing and further work with industry and in collaboration with external organisations
Link clean chemical technologies to gain maximum value from biomass waste