An agreement, which will form the basis of a partnership to develop second-generation biofuels from waste products, has been signed by Scotland's Napier University and a Chinese consortium Breeze Global Inc. The agreement was hammered out during a visit to China, last week (3rd June), by a team from Napier.

Commenting on the agreement Dr Martin Tangney, Director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Napier University, said: “This agreement with Breeze Global is testament to the excellent headway we’re making in our research at the Biofuel Research Centre at Napier.  Breeze Global is a newly formed company which will focus in the development and commercialisation of environmental projects related to biofuel and biodegradable materials. 

“This collaboration will focus on working closely with local partners in the research and development of new technologies and microbial strains related to the biological processing of local biowastes for production of biofuel.”

The Biofuel Research Centre, launched at Napier University several months ago, is committed to researching and developing second-generation biofuel from a potentially diverse range of non-food crops and waste matter.

As an expert in the biological production of butanol, Dr Tangney has already secured £500,000 in research funding to study biofuel and has established the centre to act as a portal between industry, government, academia and the public; giving accurate and consistent messages across all relevant parties.

Professor Joan Stringer, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of Napier University, said: “Sustainability is a hugely relevant issue and one of Napier’s highest priorities. Our Biofuel Research Centre not only shows our commitment to this, but also our dedication to leading new areas of research, in line with our vision of being one of the UK’s best modern universities.”