Scientists have created a new biofuel to get the cars running using ground coffee. The study by University of Bath found that different varieties of coffee, including Robusta and Arabica, have reasonably standard composition and relevant physical properties of fuel, suggesting that all coffee waste could be a “viable” way of producing biodiesel.
Chris Chuck, a research fellow at the university, said that around eight million tonnes of coffee are produced globally each year, and ground waste coffee contains up to 20% oil per unit weight. This oil also has similar properties to current feedstocks used to make biofuels. Spent coffee grounds are waste and there’s a real potential to produce a truly sustainable biofuel using these, he added.