The UK's widespread pasture land could soon provide a sustainable biofuel developed from grass, say scientists.
Some two-thirds of the UK's agricultural land is grassland and our native ryegrass is one of the species being investigated for conversion to biofuel, Iain Donnison of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research said.
Development of a bioethanol from fermented grass cellulose could meet targets for biofuels, reduce reliance on petrol, provide income in rural economies and protect the existing landscape, he suggested.
Dr Donnison outlined the possibilities of grass as a biofuel ahead of the introduction of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) which requires a rising percentage of transport fuels to come from renewables.
The obligation, which initially requires suppliers to source 2.5% of forecourt fuel from biofuels and 5% by 2010, has come under fire from green groups and aid agencies because of questions over the environmental and sustainable credentials of the renewable fuel.
But experts said "second generation" biofuels, which create liquid fuels from the breakdown of cellulose in plants including waste products such as straw from wheat crops, were less than five years away.
According to Dr Donnison, grass can be a "source of non-interruptable electricity, can produce heat and most interestingly can produce transport fuels and chemicals".
Ryegrass, which grows widely throughout parts of the UK already, has a high sugar content, can be harvested frequently and could be a highly sustainable fuel generated through fermentation.
It could also maintain the landscape and provide an alternative use for grass - and income - for livestock farmers amid dwindling numbers of animals and the current pressures of the industry.
Richard Murphy of Imperial College London said second generation technology offered a significant potential for new liquid transport fuels and development was being driven by rising oil prices. The new generation of biofuels will be available within five years, he said.