Turning yoghurt pots into diesel and making jet fuel out of household waste are just two of the ideas in the spotlight as part of the government’s new ‘call for evidence’ on advanced fuels.

Advanced fuels are low-carbon fuels produced using new technologies that can replace conventional fossil fuels. They are one of our best options for cutting carbon emissions from the transport sector.

Last December Transport Minister Baroness Kramer visited Future Blends, an innovative start-up in Oxfordshire that is developing the technology to turn agricultural and forestry waste into transport fuel. Future Blends was founded in 2012 by the Carbon Trust as part of its advanced biofuels programme called the ‘Pyrolysis Challenge’. The company is developing technologies to bring advanced fuels to local filling stations. Baroness Kramer took a tour of the laboratory and discussed the next steps for the company with CEO Nick Brooks.

 “Over a fifth of UK carbon emissions come from transport. That’s why it’s crucial we develop sustainable low-carbon fuels so that we can keep Britain moving while meeting our emissions targets,” said Baroness Kramer. The government is looking at whether such innovative processes can help reduce carbon emissions and support the growth of a high-tech, highly-skilled industry. These technologies could also help to reduce reliance on expensive energy imports.