With biofuels currently replacing just 0.2 per cent of all petroleum fuel products, there is a great need to increase the production rate.
That is according to Mark Bunger, who wrote in the environmental magazine Renewable Energy World that despite the low-level of biofuels on the market, the technology exists to manufacture thousands of petroleum-based products from biomass.
"In principle, many more of the fuels and materials we derive from petroleum today could be replaced by bio-based alternatives like biopolypropylene, biobutanol, and biocrude," he writes.
While producers have voiced concerns that biofuels are more expensive to generate, Mr Bunger cites a LUX research study which provrd that "biomaterial costs are on a glidepath to intercept petroleum costs within the next three to five years".
This is mainly thanks to process improvements and economies of scale, which will help to cut costs.
Biofuels are anticipated to widely replace fossil fuels in the UK as the government aims to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint, creating the demand for new conversion plants.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the bio-energy, bio-fuel and bio-mass industry includes; conveyors – screw conveyors – chain conveyors – belt conveyors