29/10/2009
Hemp for car parts research gets support
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Development of technology that can use hemp in car parts could receive support from a new East of England Development Agency (EEDA) scheme.Funded by the European Union Regional Development Fund and the EEDA, the scheme, entitled Innovation in Crops, or InCrops, is expected to boost eco-businesses.The project will be based in the University in East Anglia but will call on expertise from across the region, including from Renewables East.InCrops will research ways of using man-made materials with natural replacements.Locally-based Lotus Cars has already piloted car bodies made with hemp in fibreglass panels, a process which cuts embedded carbon of producing the vehicle.Cindy Winn, rural manager at EEDA, said that by using renewable resources, we can develop a low carbon economy and help to tackle climate change by reducing our dependency on petrochemical products.Scientists from Kyoto University recently unveiled an electric car made largely from bamboo, one of the fastest growing natural materials.
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