Scotland’s Edinburgh Napier University has filed a patent on a biofuel manufactured from byproducts of distilling whisky and plans to spin out a company to commercialize the technology. The process was developed over the last two years at Napier’s Biofuel Research Centre with financial backing from Scottish Enterprise’s proof of concept fund.

Research findings indicate that biobutanol provides 30% more output power than ethanol and can be used in existing cars without modification. The fuel is made from the two main byproducts of whisky production: pot ale, which is the liquid from the copper stills, and draff, or the spent grains. Scotland’s £4 billion whisky industry generates 1,600 million liters of pot ale and 187,000 tons of draff every year. “This is a more environmentally sustainable option and potentially offers new revenue on the back of one Scotland’s biggest industries,” says Martin Tangney, director of the Biofuel Research Centre.

Source: Science Business

Posted September 1st, 2010 under Tech Transfer

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