Fermentation residue into engineered char-based materials for sustainable industrial applications; A pathway to NetZero

Teesside University academics are working alongside counterparts from the University of Leeds and three industry partners to investigate how residual solids left over from the fermentation process can be turned into valuable ‘char-based materials’.

The research could have far-reaching consequences for several different sectors, including pharmaceuticals, food production and biotechnology, by converting waste products destined for landfill into char-based materials which can be a valuable part of the production cycle.

By taking the solids left over from fermentation, which would ordinarily be utilised for livestock feed or go to landfill, and converting them into engineered char-based materials, the research will help make production cycles for industries much more sustainable and efficient. This would facilitate the biomanufacturing industry in its endeavour to have a net-zero environmental impact for its processes.

The two-year project, known as FermoChar, has received £870,000 funding from Innovate UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Also taking part in the project are Albumedix, a leading biotechnology company based in Nottingham, Biome Technologies, a Southampton-based leading bioplastics company, Three Brothers Brewing Company from Stockton-on-Tees and the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), a scale-up and demonstration centre based in York.

The industrial partners all use various fermentation techniques to support the manufacture of their products and will showcase how the research can be utilised across different sectors.