Towards a sustainable biofuel future

The Gallagher report : Towards a Sustainable Biofuel Future!

Trade show aims to focus on sustainability and future feedstocks

The release of the Gallagher report into biofuels this week was given an unexpectedly warm reception by the biofuels industry despite the fact that it seemed to forecast its premature demise.

As Richard Price, director of Biofuels Media explains 'Far from being bad news for the industry, the report confirms that biofuels have their role to play but we must proceed with caution and make sure that biofuels are made from sustainable sources'.

'There needs to be more thought and planning put into what is sustainable and what is not. For instance, Gordon Brown suggested this week that the UK is wasting too much food. About 4.5 million tonnes of it goes into landfill each year and represents a
potentially valuable source of bioenergy for the future. There are
also approximately 33 million tonnes of Biomass going to landfill (see table below) of which 13 million tonnes is wood, representing a valuable source of energy. There are many sustainable alternatives out there waiting to be developed.'

Could we see a future where landfill becomes the energy source for schools, hospitals and public buildings? The idea is not far fetched according to Richard Price, 'The technology is here, it's a question of a framework to make it happen'.

Biofuels Media, are the organisers of the Biofuels Expo & Conference to be held in Nottinghamshire on 15 & 16 October. The Expo this year will be focusing on sustainable development of biofuels / bioenergy and a special area this year will be showcasing future bioenergy technology.

Biofuels Media would like to hear from any companies, universities or individuals who would like to launch or show their new technologies at the Expo. Applications should be made on http://www.biofuels-expo.co.uk.
Potential investors, partners, distributors and adoptors of this technology will be visitors to the show. Priority will be given to new non food feedstock sources and new technology surrounding bioenergy from waste.

In addition to the Expo and showcasing of new technologies, there will also be two days of conferences covering subjects such as energy from wood pellets and wood chip as well as biogas from food, farm and animal wastes. The conferences are aimed at informing delegates about all aspects of either starting a process or adopting bioenergy solutions for their organisations. It will be the best place in Britain this year to evaluate different bioenergy solutions.

Estimates of Biomass potentially available for energy use:

Wood (waste + virgin sources) ~ 11 + 2 MT Green Waste ~ 5 MT Paper / card ~ 4 MT Other Sources (inc. agricultural residues) ~ 11 MT TOTAL ~ 33 MT

In addition, between 4.5 and 7.5 MT of domestic food waste is available for biogas production via anaerobic digestion.

PRESS RELEASE
10th July 2008