by Ilona Amos (The Scotsman) PLANS have been unveiled that will see mainland Britain’s first commercial-scale seaweed farm set up in Scottish waters later this summer. The new facility will be run as a demonstration project that will help shape
(The Engineer) A Scottish company has revived a defunct fermentation technology to create biofuel from the residues of whisky production. Edinburgh-based Celtic Renewables said it now plans to build a production facility in central Scotland after manufacturing the world’s first
by Ann M. Thayer (Chemical and Engineering News) Scottish startup to make biobased chemicals from the leftovers of whisky production The process for making Scotch whisky uses three ingredients: water, yeast, and a grain, primarily barley. About 10% of the output is
(East Lothian Courier) A Study involving seaweed washed up at Dunbar has been delayed – due to a lack of seaweed! Earlier this year, it was announced a project could be created to use the seaweed from the town’s East
(Celtic Renewables) Celtic Renewables has been recognised by the motor industry, winning a top honour at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP)’s annual Low Carbon Champions awards. The company won the Low CVP’s award for Low Carbon Innovation by an SME at a gala dinner in Milton
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Celtic Renewables raises $2M, partners with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant Celtic Renewables, the Edinburgh-based biofuel company, has signed an agreement with Europe’s foremost biotechnology pilot facility to undergo next stage testing of its process to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... One of the latest entries is a study out of the UK’s University of Southampton, with assist from researchers in Scotland and Italy, that delves into the pros and cons of the soil amendment known
(The Edinburgh Reporter) The Scottish Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, on Wednesday announced a funding boost for the Scottish Biofuel programme at Edinburgh Napier University’s Sighthill campus. He pledged that along with funding from the EU, Scottish Enterprise
(Energy Business Review) The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded funding of £1.15m to Robert Gordon University (RGU) and University of St Andrews researchers for a project to investigate photocatalytic bioethanol production. The four-year project is aimed at
by Jeff Spross (ThinkProgress.org) With any luck, future whisky fans may be able to enjoy their three fingers in the afternoon with the added knowledge they’ve contributed to a climate-friendly energy economy.According to E&E News, a biochemist in Scotland recently
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In China, Dr. Martin Tangney recently appeared at the TEDxWanChai meet-up in Hong Kong, with a talk entitled “Biofuels, Whiskey and me”. It reflects on Tangney’s experience of establishing the UK’s first Biofuel Research Centre and spinning
by Chris Hanson (Biomass Magazine) The three-year European biofuel and biomaterial project, At-Sea, will conclude its first trials of seaweed cultivation off the coasts of Norway, Scotland and Ireland the end of the week of July 1. At-Sea, which began in
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) Producing biofuels in the sea removes at a stroke many of the serious problems with conventional biofuels "It's best to get it out of the water now or it'll start getting grazed by the little beasties," says
by Signe Brewster (GigaOm/The Washington Post) That 15-year Macallan you’ve been saving for a special occasion has a dark side: It was extremely inefficient to produce. The Scottish malt whiskey industry currently disposes of 90 percent of the liquid it produces because it
by Tom Marshall (Planet Earth Online) Adding charcoal to land used to grow bioenergy crops can greatly increase their overall benefit in helping cut our greenhouse-gas emissions, scientists have shown. Applying so-called 'biochar' before planting energy crops can cut soil greenhouse-gas
by Joao Peixe (OilPrice.com) In Europe’s quest for alternative energy sources to reduce its ever growing consumption of coal, a new EU research consortium, known as AccliPhot, has been created. Based at the University of Aberdeen it is researching the potential
by Nina Chestney (Reuters/Huffington Post) Growing palm oil trees to make biofuels could be accelerating the effects of climate change, new research showed on Wednesday, adding further weight to claims the crop is not environmentally sustainable. In a paper published in the
(Biofuels International) A new Scottish biofuel programme officially launched this month after securing over a million pounds worth of investment. The programme is a partnership between five Scottish universities and research institutions, with the £1.6 million ($2.5 million) funding coming via
by Kelley Price (Evening Gazette) A Scottish whisky distillery is about to become the first in the world to turn its waste into advanced biofuel - here on Teesside. Tullibardine, an independent malt whisky producer, is using Centre for Process Innovation’s
(The Green Car Website) Stagecoach buses in Scotland are cleaning up their act with a new blend of biofuel. Some 530 buses and coaches in East Scotland area and almost 400 vehicles vehicles operating as part of the Stagecoach’s West Scotland
(BBC News) The Green Investment Bank being set up by the UK government has been given the green light by the European Commission. It ruled that the plan to lend for low carbon investment projects did not break Europe's state aid
(Reuters) A small Scottish whisky maker is aiming to turn its by-products into biofuel and become the world's first whisky distillery to fuel car and trucks in a move which could see Scotland's 100-plus distilleries feed a new 60-million-pound industry. Independent
(The Bioenergy Site) NFU Scotland and Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) have welcomed the announcement that the European Commission has accepted SQC into the sustainability certification scheme for biofuels. That recognition is a huge boost ahead of the Scottish oilseed rape
by James Murray (Business Green) Scotland's status as one of the world's leading renewable energy markets was again underlined last week, after new figures revealed the sector has attracted more than £2.8bn of capital investment since the start of 2009. The
by Max Frankel (ThinkProgress) ...But in the world of science, researchers around the world are working on some very innovative ways to produce gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from more sustainable feedstocks. Here’s a look at three cool recent developments
(EurekAlert) Two scientists are challenging the currently accepted norms of biofuel production. A commentary published today in GCB Bioenergy reveals that calculations of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from bioenergy production are neglecting crucial information that has led to the overestimation of the
(ClickGreen) Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney has today announced funding to increase the energy and low carbon support available to Scottish companies. The Scottish Government has awarded £3.4 million of European Regional Development Funding to six projects from leading Scottish universities and
by Clive Cookson (Financial Times) Scottish scientists have found a more efficient way to make biofuels, using electricity rather than sunlight. Their “electric leaf” is based on photosynthetic bacteria whose biochemistry has been changed through radical genetic engineering to make a
(Edinburgh Napier University) A NEW company has been launched to commercialise a process for producing biofuel made from whisky by-products. Celtic Renewables Ltd, a spin-out from Edinburgh Napier University’s Biofuel Research Centre, will initially focus on Scotland’s £4 billion malt whisky industry
(Argent Energy) Switching to Argent Energy's 30 per cent biodiesel blend is helping a leading leaflet marketing specialist in its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2015. EAE Ltd, who distribute display stands, tourist information leaflets and other promotional material to some 5,000
(Biofuels International) Biodiesel producer Argent Energy Group has been awarded £7 million (€8.1 million) from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to help fund its development. ...Lombard is funding the purchase of innovative equipment that will enable Argent to convert used
(News.stv.tv) Researchers hope that the animals' ability to break down trees and plant material can be harnessed to create renewable fuels. Scottish scientists are hoping to harness the power of cow's stomachs to create a new range of biofuels. Researchers in Aberdeen
by Glenn Meyers (CleanTechnica) There is now more good news on producing hydrogen, the clean-burning fuel that leaves behind water as an emission. An international scientific team has announced creating hydrogen using ambient temperatures and pressure through a combination of sunlight
by David Beattie (Renewable Energy World Magazine) ...Importantly, and what sets these latest fuels apart from their first-generation predecessors, is the fact that they are produced using feedstock that would normally be classed as waste or non-food. These include parts
(University of Glasgow) Scientists from the University of Glasgow are working with international colleagues on a £5.4m collaboration to improve the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process whereby biological systems convert sunlight into food and the source of all the
(FIS) Scientists are proposing the creation of methane gas from algae grown in great offshore farms to power adapted vehicles. A new GBP 5 million (EUR 6.1 million) UK and Irish joint project called BioMara disclosed the plan and seeks to
by Emma Jackson (WardsAuto.com) First scotch, now vodka. William Chase, founder of Chase Vodka, has launched a plan to convert waste potatoes from his U.K. distillery into a high-grade biofuel for vehicles. “We have known for a long time that potato starch
(Telegraph) Scientists say they have created a new biofuel made from whisky by-products which could be used to help power cars currently on the road. Edinburgh Napier University has filed a patent for the product, which can be used in ordinary
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Scott Carpenter once noted that we know more about the heavens than the sea — but for biofuels, there is every urgent reason to look carefully to salt-friendly projects that can utilize brackish water, or
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