Coffee: The new ‘renewable energy’ fix?
April, 2014
Here at ADF Insurance Brokers Ltd, we love a morning coffee fix, but could coffee be a biofuel for renewal energy supplies?
Bio-bean a green energy company based in London seem to think so. This company came up with great idea to turn the wasted coffee grounds from coffee shops, roasters and instant coffee makers into renewable bio fuel.
The founder of the company realised the potential when realising the oil content in the brown beans and the amount of wastage left from the actual coffee bean. A study showed staggering results of around 200,000 tonnes of ground coffee wasted a year in London alone. Here is the UK we aren’t the biggest coffee drinkers in Europe but statistics show accumulatively the Brits drink around 70 million cups of coffee a day. That is an extortionate amount of coffee, so it’s safe to say this company will never fall short of coffee waste.
The innovative idea from Bio-bean require them to dry the waste, then an extraction process draws the oil from the coffee grounds using a biochemical process which has been patented by the company. The oil weights approximately 15-20%, yet the waste consists of the remaining 80-85%. This remaining product is formed into biomass pellets which are then burned in boilers. Initial test from the company also revealed that the coffee pellets produce 150% more energy than wood due to their higher calorie content. The firm also believes that the pellets and biodiesel can be produced at 10% below market trading price.
The company’s wish to set up their first waste processing site in North London and are hoping to hold the capacity for 30,000 tonnes a year. The company’s aims are set high to be powering buildings and transport by the end of the year. Is coffee waking us up to a new renewable energy source that was in our mugs the whole time? Let us know what you think by leaving feedback on the following sites Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Google+. Similarly if you’re in the renewable energy industry and your looking to get insured why not contact us today for a quote.
