YORK'S contribution to international biofuel research has been formally recognised by laboratories in Brazil.

For the past five years scientists at the Biorenewables Development Centre, based in York Science Park, have been working with the Brazilian National Laboratory of Science and Technology of Bioethanol (CTBE).

The collaborative project, which seeks to increase the efficiency of extracting ethanol from sugar cane for use as motor fuel, has now been further enhanced after the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The agreement officially recognises the international importance of biofuel expertise at the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) and in the plant biology and green chemistry research groups at the University of York.

Dr Joe Ross, director of the BDC, said: "To be recognised in this way, by a world leader in bioethanol production, is a tremendous endorsement for our biofuel capabilities and proof of our international impact in this field."

Biofuels offer an alternative to fossil fuels and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, there is concern that they compete for agricultural land with food crops.

Bioethanol production from sugarcane is relatively inefficient, extracting only around a third of the crop’s sugars.

For the past five years, plant biologists, geneticists and green chemists from across Europe have been working with CTBE experts on sugarcane breeding and bioethanol production, in a research project led by the University of York.

Their aim has been to improve the efficiency of bioethanol processing from plant material, so that less land is used in its production.

More recently, the BDC has been building on this research by using its processing facilities to test new energy crop varieties and new extraction methods.

The BDC has now signed an MOU with CTBE to further cooperate on research and development related to bio-based fuels and chemicals.

Professor Simon McQueen Mason, director of the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products at the University of York, said: "This continuing collaboration between the foremost European and Brazilian researchers in the sector paves the way for a new generation of biofuels that are both cost-competitive and environmentally sustainable."

The MOU was arranged with help from BioVale, which is a new initiative to develop and promote Yorkshire and the Humber as an internationally recognised centre for the bio-based economy.

Professor Deborah Smith, chairman of BioVale’s steering group, said: "This is another example of the world-class capabilities of the region in developing bio-based products.

"The Yorkshire and the Humber region is gaining an international reputation as a centre of innovation for the bioeconomy."

Earlier this year Biovale signed its own MOU with the French Industries & Agro-Resources (IAR) cluster.

The two organisations will now work to support research, boost the global bioeconomy, and open up multibillion pound opportunities for UK and French businesses.