Watch the Bioenergy video
Fossil fuels provide 95% of the world's total energy, yet are considered to be the largest contributing factor to global warming.
Will you help us to develop sustainable solutions to secure future energy supplies?
The issue
Climate change and an increasing demand for energy, food and drinking water to support the world’s growing population, represent some of the biggest challenges facing humankind in the 21st Century.
Fossil fuels account for a significant proportion of global CO2 emissions. Fossil fuel supplies are limited and cannot support global energy demands long-term. There is an urgent need to identify renewable alternatives. The challenge is to secure future energy supplies and combat the threats of global warming and climate change without impacting on food and drinking water supplies.
Our solution
The University is developing alternatives to fossil fuels. Our world-class ‘field to forecourt’ approach focuses on the conversion of plant materials such as wheat straw into liquid biofuels such as ethanol and butanol. The approaches used are environmentally beneficial, economically viable and socially acceptable. Further research to optimise the combustion of plant materials once valuable food and pharmaceutical components have been extracted is also a priority.
Our cereal and plant biologists, agronomists, engineers, microbiologists, fermentation scientists, chemists, sociologists and mathematical modellers are working in partnership with some of the world’s largest energy businesses to deliver sustainable bioenergy for the future. We are engaging with local communities, consumers, producers, industries and governments to fully understand the social, ethical and environmental considerations of different solutions. The use of agricultural co-products for bioenergy production means that agricultural land is still available for food crops. Our sustainable solutions to future energy security will not compromise global food security.
Our impact
Renewable alternatives to fossil fuels will promote low-carbon economies whilst securing future energy supplies. The solutions have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions, mitigate global warming and protect our environment from climate change. Our collaborative approach will deliver a step-change in bioenergy research that will offer sustainable solutions for local populations, worldwide communities, industry, and global society.
What will your Impact be?
Your support for Bioenergy will make a genuine difference to our ability to provide sustainable solutions of global importance in mitigating global warming and securing our future energy supply.
While the UK has pockets of research excellence in certain areas of the bioenergy process, few institutions can offer the breadth and depth of collaborative research needed for a truly world-class ‘field to forecourt’ approach. I’m extremely proud to say that The University of Nottingham is one such place.
Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor