CPI lead a UK consortium to turn waste into fuel
03 Feb 2012
CPI is a leading research partner in a consortium working on how the UK can turn its waste into fuel. This study will map and characterise the waste produced in the UK, and will identify the next generation of high-efficiency technologies to generate clean energy. The project is led by Caterpillar and other partners include EDF Energy, Cranfield University and Shanks Waste Management.
The consortium was brought together by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), whose goal is to overcome major barriers to the deployment of low carbon energy technology. The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), which brings together projects and partnerships that create affordable, reliable, clean energy for heat, power and transport.
The group will assess the energy content of waste created across the UK, evaluate the existing technologies and suggest new ways to generate energy from waste. It will assess the potential key benefits from these developments including reduced CO2 emissions, increased affordability and a secure, local supply of fuel.
This project is the first to be announced under the ETI’s Distributed Energy Programme and is set to inform UK policy on waste to energy.
Benefits
Generating more energy from a wider variety of waste will reduce the amount of material sent to landfill sites. Instead, the waste will be used as a clean and renewable source of fuel.
The project will explore how waste can be used to produce electricity and heat as close as possible to the point of consumption. It will also identify fuels that reduce CO2 emissions.
It is currently estimated that around 100 million tonnes of waste produced each year could be converted to energy. Effective conversion of this waste has the potential to supply up to 4% of the UK’s electricity, space and water heating requirements.
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