THE PROSPECTS of the UK becoming a significant producer of biofuels will be the subject of a conference in Cambridge later this month (July 20).

The ‘Commercial Reality of a UK Biofuel Industry’ conference is being organised by the Home Grown Cereals Authority, in association with Renewables East and will look at the way forward for UK biofuels.

“A biofuel market is already established here in the UK, albeit based on imported product,” said Louis Dreyfus’s head of sugar and ethanol trading, Richard Allen, who will be speaking at the conference.

“It is now vital that the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation becomes law. This will create a UK biofuel market straight away, which will stimulate domestic investment and production of UK biofuels.”

The conference, which will be chaired by Rt Hon Baroness Gillian Shepherd, will cover the latest political developments, global production and trade in biofuels, as well as the UK prospects.

Tickets are available from HGCA Events for a subsidised price of £10 and places need to be booked by July 13. Visit the Events section of www.hgca.com for more information or email events@hgca.com.

Prior to the event (July 19), the Renewable Power Association will also be holding its 2005 Biomass Conference, looking at successful biomass project development. Tickets cost £150, details from www.r-p-a.org.uk.