Projects

Projects: Projects for Investigator

The UK coffee industry (caf s and instant coffee factories) produce 485kT/yr of Used Coffee Grounds (UCG), of which over 90% are landfilled or incinerated, costing the UK coffee industry 79.8m/yr (Fairtrade, 2012). Alongside the need to reduce landfill, the UK, EU and coffee companies need to valorise waste and reduce emissions but are struggling to meet targets (Global Warming Policy Foundation, 2014). The UK s Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has contributed to 4.9million T/yr UK consumption of wood biomass pellets, over 80% of which are imported, mainly from N. America - costing the UK 1.2bn/yr (Biomass Energy Centre, 2013). Furthermore, wood crops compete with land and food production (Gov.uk, 2011), creating a growing demand for locally-sourced Advanced Biofuels (derived from waste). Bio-Bean have proven the concept of a closed-loop, commercial model to manufacture Advanced biomass heating pellets from UCG. Bio-Beans model and technology have attracted widespread coffee company, media and sustainability industry attention both nationally and internationally and have been endorsed by parties including Shell, UKTI, the Mayor of London, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC). This project will allow Bio-Bean to develop a prototype of the processing plant and conduct full-scale trials to demonstrate scalability to potential investors and customers who have already expressed interest.