AN organisation helping businesses bring next generation products to market is working on a project to turn used cooking oil into a biofuel.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is working with Green Lizard Technologies and their licensed company Oleocycle on a pilot scheme at its base in Wilton, near Redcar.

Bosses say Oleocycle hopes to operate a plant capable of processing 10,000 tonnes of materials every year from the Teesside site.

They added the scheme will help increase the use and awareness of environmentally-friendly fuel sources, such as biodiesel, which is typically derived from vegetable or animal oils.

Green Lizard, a spin-out company from Queen’s University Belfast, has developed a process for converting waste cooking oils into a biodiesel, which, in turn delivers ingredient byproducts for use in soaps and detergents.

Matthew Abbott, project manager of the collaboration with Green Lizard at CPI, said: “We look forward to working with and helping Green Lizard scale up these processes to commercial levels.”

Martin Atkins, Green Lizard’s chief executive, added: “Waste oils are becoming an important resource for second-use chemicals, and the technologies by Green Lizard and Oleocycle are key to commercialising this problematic waste stream.

“Working with the CPI has been fantastic to help us achieve ton scale production for customer acceptance ahead of releasing funds for the first large-scale plant to be built at Wilton.”

The CPI also runs the Darlington-based National Biologics Manufacturing Centre, which provides firms with technical backing to research and develop potentially life-saving cures and vaccines, including cancer treatments and therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.