Biomass is one of the most versatile sources of renewable energy and our only source of renewable materials. It is attracting increasing attention on the world stage because it has the potential to address concerns about climate change, energy security, rural development and access to modern energy services in developing countries.
Our research focuses on the techno-economic, environmental and policy issues that impact how biomass is used to provide high quality heat, electricity and transport services. We undertake work for a broad range of government and international organisations, research councils, non-government organisations and industry.
We are an inter-disciplinary team of experienced researchers. We publish extensively, and regularly participate in national and international expert committees in addition to teaching on postgraduate courses at Imperial College and other universities.
We have close links with members of the Centre for Environmental Policy, and with other research centres within the College, such as the Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Energy Futures Lab and Porter Institute. We also host postgraduate students.
People and publications
Academic staff
Research fellows
Research associates
Phd research students
Current Projects:
- Global Oil Depletion - An assessment of the evidence for near-term physical constraints on global oil supply (UKERC and TPA project)
- Assessment of Biorefinery Concepts and the Implication for Agricultural and Forestry Policy (BIOPOL) - funded under EC FP6
- The Global Potential for Sustainable Forestry and Bioenergy to Mitigate Climate Change - funded by NERC under the Quantifying and Understanding Earth Systems programme (QUEST) Competance Platform on Energy Crop & Agroforestry Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems (COMPETE) - project partner - funded under EU FP6
- A Whole Systems Approach to Analysing Bioenergy Demand and Supply in the UK (TSEC-Biosys) - funded by the UK joint research councils (NERC,EPSRC,BBSRC) as part of the Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy initiative
- BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport ( BEST ) - funded under EC FP6 and coordinated by the city of Stockholm
- New Improvements for Lignocellulosic Ethanol (NILE) - funded under EC FP6 and coordinated by French Petroleum Institute (IFP)
- Lifecycle Carbon Inventories for Bioenergy Chains - in collaboration with University of Surrey, funded by the Carbon Trust Carbon Vision Programme
- Development of Carbon-accreditation Methodologies and Protocols for Biofuels - funded by UK HGCA and British Biogen
- Decentralised Polygeneration of Energy - participation in Platform Grant - funded by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
- Sustainable Waste Management Consortium - Participant - funded by EPSRC: Sustainable Urban Environment programme
- Framework development for an international bioenergy programme - for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
- Modelling the potential development of bioenergy in southern Africa's sugarcane areas - funded by the European Commission
- International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 40: Sustainable International Bioenergy Trade - funded by Decc and others
- Transport - An assessment of what policies are most effective at reducing carbon emissions from surface passenger transport, comparing interventions aimed at behavioural change and technological improvements (UKERC and TPA project)
- Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa (CARENSA) - project partner - funded by the European Commission. The Costs and Impacts of Intermittency- An assessment of the evidence on the costs and impacts of intermittent generation of the British electricity network (UKERC and TPA project)
- Investment in Electricity Generation- The role of costs, incentives and risk in the investment decision-making process (UKERC and TPA project)
- The rebound effect - An assessment of the evidence for economy-wide energy savings from improved energy efficiency (UKERC and TPA project)
- Certification for a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation - Feasibility study for the UK Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership - (please contact us if you wish to receive a copy of the report)
- Farm Level Economic Impacts of Energy Crop Production - led by University of Cambridge and Scottish Agricultural College - funded by Defra
- Review and Assessment of Renewable Transport Fuel Options - for the UK Department of Trade and Industry
- The Bioenergy Systems Innovation Chain - analysis for the UK Department of Trade and Industry
- The use of Biomass for Energy - (download report) - analysis for the UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution; contact us to receive copy of our report
- Energy and Carbon Balances for Ethanol Production from Wheat - a report for the UK Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership
- Bioelectricity Vision - (download report) a report for WWF International
- Ethanol from Lignocellulose - a review for DEFRA
- Bioenergy potential in the small island states of the South Pacific - for the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC)
- Evaluation of Carbon Capture Technologies for Bioenergy - for British Sugar
- Bioenergy Briefings - for major energy companies
- Socially and Environmentally Efficient Technologies for Biomass Energy Production in the UK - funded by EPSRC