Biofuels programme launched in Scotland

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 the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise.

‘We are mandated by the EU to have a certain percentage of biofuel by 2020 and the current debate on biofuel legislation is putting increased pressure on the industry to produce biofuel from wastes and residues,’ says professor Martin Tangney, director of Edinburgh Napier University’s Biofuel Research Centre.

‘This Government backed partnership is aimed at helping Scottish SMEs to achieve exactly that goal and we will provide a business and R&D support base to grow the biofuel sector in Scotland.’

All SMEs can apply to the programme’s Business Innovation Fund, which has a total volume of £70,000 per year available. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis and will allow businesses to exploit existing and future research commercially, as well as to conduct feasibility studies.

‘The idea of creating revenue from waste material offers a great opportunity for SMEs to exploit, particularly those in rural areas of Scotland,’ adds rural director of Scottish Enterprise Julian Pace. ‘We need to help our businesses understand how this could impact their bottom line to help grow while contributing to the Scottish government's ambitious low carbon targets.’