Biotech partners with Heriot-Watt to turn whey into fuel

WHEY from cheese can be converted into bioethanol for fuelling cars thanks to the work of biotech firm Take Root Bio and Heriot-Watt University.

With around 95,000 t/y of whey being produced in the UK from the production of cheddar and similar cheeses, researchers have been looking into how to break down the salty by-product to help reduce dairy waste and management costs for farmers.

Kirk Siderman-Wolter, founder of Take Root Bio, said: “Salty whey is produced in huge volumes and can be difficult to deal with, so we wanted to find out whether there was a better use for it.

"If we can help turn something that currently costs money to manage into something with real value, that's a positive outcome for both dairy producers and the environment."

The development of the project is made up of Take Root Bio’s and Heriot-Watt’s respective expertise in bioengineering and circular food systems.

Together, researchers focused on taking the sugars from the whey and processing it into bioethanol.

Shiwen Zhuang, specialist in fermentation development at Heriot-Watt, said: “This project gave us the opportunity to explore whether bio-based solutions could help unlock some of the value in salty whey while reducing the pressures associated with disposal. It's exactly the kind of upcycling approach that could strengthen sustainability across the food and drink sector."

Take Root Bio and Heriot-Watt are now investigating if similar techniques can be applied to other food products, including fruit and vegetable processing. Take Root Bio is looking specifically at how captured gas from the fermentation process, including methane and hydrogen, can be used in food production.