Loughborough University spin-out converts glycerol into high-value bio-derived solvent

In the UK, an electrochemical process developed by scientists at a Loughborough University spin-out company enables biodiesel producers to turn waste into profit – while slashing emissions and energy use.

The R3V Tech team have developed a process that converts crude glycerol – a low-value by-product of the biodiesel industry – into a high-value bio-derived solvent that is commonly used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial sectors and as a fuel additive.

The company is currently scaling its laboratory-based process from gram-scale experiments to kilogram-per-hour production and has recently been awarded an Innovate UK grant to build and trial a pilot demonstrator at a biodiesel plant within the next five months.