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Biorenewables Development Centre awarded further funding to research biohydrogen production for the UK transport sector

Posted on 15 August 2023

The Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), a subsidiary of the University of York, has been awarded £5m to lead the development of biohydrogen for the transport sector.

Researcher in the Biorenewables Development Centre

The funding, from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, will contribute to the decarbonisation of the passenger and long-haulage transport sector - which contributed to 16% of domestic greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.

Sustainable

It follows on from Phase 1 of the H2-Boost project and aims to produce biohydrogen through advanced pre-treatment of bio-based feedstocks, fermentation, microbial analysis, and the processing of by-products via anaerobic digestion, microbial CO2 capture and storage.

This multi-step process aims to create a biofuel that is financially viable and environmentally sustainable.

Opportunity

Dr Deborah Rathbone, Bioscience Innovation Team Manager, at the Biorenewables Development Centre said: “We are pleased to be awarded Phase 2 funding to further develop biohydrogen for the UK transport sector.

“Working with our partners, we have a real opportunity here to make a difference as the H2Boost objectives align with the UK ambition of reaching net-zero by 2050 with low carbon hydrogen-based technologies providing up to 35% of energy requirements.”

Led by the BDC, this next phase of the project will take place over the next twenty months, working with colleagues at the University of Leeds, Greenthread Solutions, QUBE Renewables Ltd, Aardvark EM, CM 90 Ltd, CyanoCapture, The Maltings Organic Treatment Ltd, NNFCC The Bioeconomy Consultants, AB Agri and WSP.

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