Biorenewables Development Centre - Open for Business

Posted on 9 July 2012

The opening of a new centre to convert plants and biowastes into high value products

Biorenewables Development Centre

The Biorenewables Development Centre was officially opened by the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Industry and Skills on 5 July 2012.

The BDC is a 10 – 100 kg (10 – 100 litres) world-class scale-up facility that allows York researchers to test the most promising processes for converting renewables into chemicals and materials. In this way they can prove a new process and/or produce enough product for detailed commercial analysis and assessment for example, by an interested company. The BDC is very much about engaging and working with industry and is a joint venture between Chemistry (Green Chemistry) and Biology (CNAP), which is funded by ERDF and BIS.

Equipment in the BDC includes a large purpose-built microwave processor (capable of operating at up to ca. 30 Kg/h), two 5 litre supercritical carbon dioxide extractors, large multi-purpose reactors and extractors, pre-processing equipment including macerator and pelletiser, and some analytical equipment.
For further details, contact: biorenewables@york.ac.uk