Extra £700k for organic waste project

An Aston University project that transforms material such as agricultural and factory waste into heat, power and other commercially valuable bioproducts is to be extended for another year and receive an additional £700,000 of government support.

The Biochar CleanTech Accelerator is part of the West Midlands Innovation Accelerator programme which was established in 2022 and managed by the West Midlands Combined Authority. The programme is led by Innovate UK and operates on behalf of UK Research and Innovation.

The university uses heat technology, called pyrolysis, to produce oils, gases and other low-carbon product materials from residue such as sawdust and agricultural waste, contributing to a regional target of export contracts worth over £200mn.

Being part of the West Midlands accelerator has allowed complex technical research by the university’s Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute to be applied with UK companies to create new products and business opportunities in growing markets.

The university said the additional funding will help it to further develop its research. It is part of a new national £30mn extension of the Innovation Accelerator programme, which focuses on locally led innovation to drive economic growth and advance technology across the West Midlands, Glasgow City Region and Greater Manchester.

Tim Miller, project lead of the Biochar CleanTech Accelerator, said: “The Biochar Accelerator helps us collaborate with UK business to use knowledge, facilities and research to win contracts that benefit the region both economically and environmentally.

“For example, last year our researchers used biochar, a sustainable form of charcoal, to make office items for Birmingham law firm, Mills & Reeve. They were able to kit out their new city centre building with durable plant and pen pots made from material produced at our pyrolysis demonstrator. The next step is to explore use in the aircraft, car and construction industries.”