Research line
Bioenergy
Biological residues can be a source of energy and of useful chemical products, if the conversion route is designed carefully.
Why it matters
Bioenergy is not a single technology. It covers the conversion of agricultural, food and industrial residues into fuels, heat or chemical intermediates. The environmental case depends on the feedstock, the conversion route and the alternative use of the land or residue. The centre's work focuses on the technical and system conditions under which recovery makes sense.
How we approach it
We examine biological feedstocks and the processes that convert them into energy carriers or added value products. The work combines process design with laboratory measurement, and it is assessed against the wider material and energy balance. Where a residue has a competing use, that use is part of the analysis.
Focus areas
- Residue characterisation and pretreatment
- Conversion routes for energy carriers
- Recovery of added value products
- Process integration and heat recovery
- Life cycle comparison with alternatives
Selected project context
The BIOSOS project developed integrated biorefinery concepts across the biomass value chain, from raw material to final products. It combined industrial partners with research contractors and treated sustainability as part of the technical design.
Related laboratories
Work in this line draws on the following laboratory spaces. Projects may use one or several of them, depending on whether the question is computational, analytical or process based.