Take Root Bio and Heriot-Watt University convert cheese waste to fuel

Take Root Bio and Heriot-Watt University have developed a process to convert salty whey, a high-volume byproduct of cheese production, into bioethanol. The project was supported by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), which facilitated the partnership between the company and the university.

Salty whey is a significant challenge for the dairy industry due to its high salt content and milk sugars, making it difficult and expensive to manage. In the UK alone, approximately 95,000 tonnes of salty whey are generated annually from the production of cheddar and similar cheeses. A single dairy producer can generate tens of thousands of liters every week.

The technology utilizes a closed-loop approach inspired by biosphere engineering used for space exploration, where resources are recycled to minimize waste. By using biological processes to transform the sugars in the whey into renewable fuel, the project aims to turn a costly waste stream into a valuable resource. The process also yields a secondary stream of material that may be recoverable and reusable.