10104067Transforming chemical manufacturing though electrification - Scale up to pilot-line capabilities for demonstration of economic case.ClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKR3V Tech Ltd, a spin-out from Loughborough University, was set up to exploit technologies for improving the environmental performance of chemical industries by reducing emissions, lowering energy consumption, and improving circularity in production. Working within the Chemistry Department at Loughborough, the founding team developed a novel reaction pathway that can take crude glycerol as a by-product of biodiesel production and convert to a higher value chemical "solketal", at room temperature and pressure without pre-treatment or need for addition of catalyst. Solketal is applied as a co-solvent for biodiesel production, as a fuel additive to improve combustion and used industrially for coatings, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. There is an enormous quantity of crude glycerol (~ 5 billion litres p.a.) generated worldwide from biodiesel production. The UK alone accounts for 60,000-tonne p.a. with growth forecasted at 8.1% CAGR by 2032\. However, to date it has not proved cost effective to convert glycerol to higher value chemicals at the sites of individual biodiesel producers. Through this project, we will build on our proof-of-concept to realise a pilot-scale demonstrator to drive forward the technology towards industrial adoption.