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Projects


Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/S000771/1
Title Supergen Bioenergy Hub 2018
Status Completed
Energy Categories Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Other bio-energy) 20%;
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Applications for heat and electricity) 20%;
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of other biomass-derived fuels (incl. Production from wastes)) 20%;
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of transport biofuels (incl. Production from wastes)) 20%;
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts) 20%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Biological Sciences) 40%;
BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science) 30%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 30%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 60%;
Systems Analysis related to energy R&D 10%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions) 10%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy) 20%;
Principal Investigator Prof P (Patricia ) Thornley
No email address given
Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
University of Manchester
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 November 2018
End Date 31 October 2023
Duration 60 months
Total Grant Value £5,658,418
Industrial Sectors Energy
Region North West
Programme Energy : Energy
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Prof P (Patricia ) Thornley , Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester (99.991%)
  Other Investigator Dr MC McManus , Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath (0.001%)
Professor AV Bridgwater , Sch of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University (0.001%)
Dr M Roeder , Sch of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University (0.001%)
Dr K Chong , Sch of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University (0.001%)
Dr J P Hallett , Chemistry, Imperial College London (0.001%)
Professor C Hardacre , Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast (0.001%)
Dr IS (Iain ) Donnison , IBERS, Aberystwyth University (0.001%)
Dr RL Rowe , Soils and Land Use (Lancaster), NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) (0.001%)
Dr RA Holland , Sch of Biological Science, University of Southampton (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Progressive Energy Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Drax Power Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , DfT (Department for Transport) (0.000%)
Project Contact , Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (0.000%)
Project Contact , Renewable Energy Association REA (0.000%)
Project Contact , Energy Systems Catapult Limited (0.000%)
Project Contact , Energy Technology Partnership (0.000%)
Project Contact , Knowledge Transfer Network Limited (0.000%)
Project Contact , RSPB (0.000%)
Project Contact , Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) (0.000%)
Project Contact , Uniper Technologies Ltd. (0.000%)
Project Contact , National Farmers Union (NFU) (0.000%)
Project Contact , Cadscan Limited (0.000%)
Project Contact , EarthShift Global LLC, USA (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Biomass is plant or woody material that during its growth has absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis . When the biomass is used to produce bioenergy it re-releases to atmosphere the same amount of CO2 as was sequestered during growth. Therefore, as long as biomass growth is close in time period to release there is no net addition to the long term atmospheric CO2 concentration. However, some aspects of processing and using the biomass may generate additional greenhouse gas emissions that need to be accounted for and, given that the UK is trying to decrease all carbon emissions it is important that we make efficient use of our biomass resource by maximizing the production and use of truly sustainable resource and developing efficient pre-treatment and conversion technologies. It is also important that we make the best use of the sustainable biomass resource and fully understand the wider impact and costs of implementation.This project brings together leading UK bioenergy research groups to develop sustainable bioenergy systems that support the UK's transition to an affordable, resilient, low-carbon energy future. We will synthesize previous work on land and feedstock availability to assess the realistic potential resource for UK bioenergy and examine new crops that could support UK farming by delivering ecosystem benefits as well as biomass resource. We will test the performance of different feedstocks in high efficiency conversion options and develop new techniques which will improve resource efficiency in bioenergy systems, especially at small scale. We will evaluate the impact of using biomass for heat, electricity, transport fuels or chemicals to provide independent, authoritative information to guide decision making by industrialists and policy makers. We will assess the potential for bioenergy to contribute a proportion of the UK's future sustainable energy mix, taking into account the environmental, economic and social impacts of the processes.We will work with industrialists and policy makers to ensure that our work is relevant to their needs and reflects achievable implementation standards. We will share our findings in our research work widely with the industry and policy communities and make it accessible to societal stakeholders on our website, via special publications, in the conventional and on social media and with tailored events for public engagement.
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 15/02/19