Study into bio-refinery site starts

Nov 5 2009 by Beverley Pearson, The Journal

A FEASIBILITY study has started into plans for a plant on Teesside to convert biodegradable household and commercial wastes into carbon neutral road transport fuel and clean electricity.

The £3.5m study by Ineos Bio could see a world-scale bio-refinery at Seal Sands operational by 2015. The study is being supported by a £2.2m grant from One North East and the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

Peter Williams, chief executive of Ineos Bio, said: “Essentially, our aim is to provide bio-fuel for cars and bio-energy at competitive cost without harming the environment, with very low or zero net carbon emissions and without competing with food production.”

At the heart of the technology is anaerobic fermentation, through which naturally-occurring bacteria convert gases derived directly from biomass into bio-ethanol.

Alan Clarke, chief executive of One North East, said: “This development will further strengthen the region’s position at the forefront of industrial biotechnology.”