Edinburgh Napier University and City University of Hong Kong Join Forces

29 January 10

Edinburgh Napier University and City University of Hong Kong have joined forces to establish Hong Kong’s first Biofuel Research Centre.

The United Kingdom’s Edinburgh Napier University and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) today announced that they would form a partnership to establish Hong Kong’s first Biofuel Research Centre. The Centre will be the first of its kind in Hong Kong and will be a key component of CityU’s new School of Energy and Environment to address both the rising global demand for sustainable and non-fossil-based fuels and Hong Kong’s urgent need to develop sustainable solutions to accommodate the ever-increasing volume of waste matter.

Edinburgh Napier University and CityU today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form the Biofuel Research Centre. The focus of the Centre is on research and development of renewable energy via second generation biofuels from a diverse range of non-food crops and waste matter. Biofuels are energy sources made from renewable biological materials, unlike traditional fossil fuels such as oil and coal which are not sustainable.

Edinburgh Napier University is home to the Biofuel Research Centre (BfRC) - UK’s first research centre dedicated to the development of sustainable biofuel. The Director of BfRC, Professor Martin Tangney, is an internationally recognised expert in microbial biofuel production and a key figure in the renewable energy sector in Scotland. The BfRC has achieved international prominence as a portal for the assimilation, integration and dissemination of knowledge and information across national and international academia, industry and Government.

The newly established School of Energy and Environment of CityU, the first of its kind and the only one in Hong Kong academia, aspires to be a leading school in the Asia-Pacific region specialising in professional education and cutting-edge research in energy and environment, with focus on renewable energies, energy storage, energy efficiency and conservation, climate change and air pollution.

Edinburgh Napier University will initially work with CityU’s School of Energy and Environment in acquiring the necessary equipment and recruiting academic and research personnel for the Centre. Collaboration between the two universities will then be extended to the development and application of joint research projects, student and faculty exchange programmes and joint partnerships with private industries in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

“Scotland is at the forefront of renewable energy research and technology in the world. Sustainability is a hugely relevant issue and one of Edinburgh Napier’s highest priorities. Edinburgh Napier University has over twenty years of experience of working with partners in Hong Kong and I look forward to another key collaboration. The Edinburgh Napier University and CityU collaboration is an important step in the global search for new and more sustainable energy solutions,” said Professor Dame Joan Stringer, DBE, Principal and Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University.

Professor Martin Tangney said:

“Edinburgh Napier University’s Biofuel Research Centre has achieved international acclaim and we look forward to sharing our experiences and expertise in establishing this joint research centre at CityU. 2010 is a critical moment for renewable energy research. This is a tremendous opportunity for Hong Kong to become the R&D hub and commercialisation centre for renewable energy technologies in China and beyond. This is the decade where it will all happen.”

“This Centre represents a key development for the School of Energy and Environment at CityU. We expect that it will become an important hub for scientific research in the area of biofuel, which will eventually lead to the commercialisation of new technologies and enhance our professional education to benefit various sectors of society, including the government, industries, academia and the general public”, said Professor Johnny Chan chung-leung, Dean of the CityU School of Energy and Environment.

The Centre will begin its research activities as soon as the necessary equipment are set up. It is expected that much of the future funding would come from government research grants and industrial partnerships. The Centre will be located within the premises of CityU’s School of Energy and Environment, which will be in The Science and Technology Parks.

Scotland is a world leader in its approach to tackling climate change and developing renewable energy technologies, and an ideal partner for the Asian renewable industry. Possessing 25% of Europe’s tidal and offshore wind energy resource, Scotland has adopted the most ambitious renewable energy targets in Europe (31% of electricity consumption from renewables by 2011, 50% by 2020) and is already well on track to achieve them.

More information on Edinburgh Napier University, Biofuel Research Centre