Researchers from the University of Manchester and the East China University of Science and Technology have developed a method of producing fuel by boiling raw sawdust without having to pre-treat the biomass, which could lead to significant energy savings. This sustainable method uses a metal catalyst to produce fuel by breaking down the lignin contained within the biomass. Dr Sihai Yang, lead author of the study, said: “This new catalytic process can directly convert raw biomass to liquid fuels without separations or chemical pre-treatments, leading to significant potential energy savings.”
