Whey to Go: Turning Cheese Byproduct into Fuel
Whey to go! Could the cheese byproduct heat our homes and fuel our cars?
- Level
- B2
- Estimated time
- 30–40 minutes
- Reading
- 1 min read
The story
Whey is the liquid left after cheesemaking. When milk curdles, the curds are separated and the whey remains. Whey is mostly water but also contains lactose, protein and sometimes a lot of salt. Salty whey is often treated as waste because its salt content makes disposal difficult.
In Britain, cheesemakers produce about 95,000 tonnes of salty whey every year. Researchers at Heriot-Watt University and the space tech company Take Root Bio have devised a method to turn salty whey into fuel. The process uses the sugars in whey in a bio-based conversion to make a transport or heating fuel. As Dr Jane White said, "still contain valuable components but can be challenging to manage".
This research follows earlier work on bioethanol. In 2021, Prince Charles ran his Aston Martin on bioethanol made from whey and surplus wine. Bioethanol later fell out of favour, and high demand for protein supplements has also changed whey markets, pushing up protein prices.
If the method is adopted widely, whey will be heating some homes and powering cars. If this happens, cars will be running on a whey-based fuel.
Key vocabulary
- whey
- The liquid left after milk separates into curds and liquid during cheesemaking.
- curds
- The solid pieces of milk that become cheese when separated from whey.
- lactose
- A sugar found in milk and whey.
- salty
- Containing a lot of salt; describes some whey that is hard to dispose of.
- fuel
- A substance that can be burned or used to produce energy for heat or transport.
- researchers
- People who study and test ideas to find new solutions, like scientists.
- waste
- Material regarded as unwanted or useless, here used for salty whey.
- protein
- A nutrient in whey that can be extracted and used in supplements.
Comprehension check
Write your answer, reveal the model answer, then score yourself honestly.
1. What is whey and how is it made?
2. How much salty whey do British cheesemakers produce each year?
3. Which institutions worked on the method to turn whey into fuel?
4. What does the new process use from whey to create fuel?
5. According to the text, what could happen if the method is adopted widely?
Grammar focus
Future continuous
The future continuous (will be + -ing) shows an action that will be in progress at a future time. It is often used for planned or possible ongoing future events.
- If the method is adopted widely, whey will be heating some homes and powering cars.
- If this happens, cars will be running on a whey-based fuel.
Grammar exercise
Complete the sentences with the future continuous form (will be + -ing) of the verb in brackets. Use the time words to guide you.
1. Next year, the plant (produce) ___ whey fuel.
2. By 2030, whey (heat) ___ some homes.
3. This winter, whey-based fuel (power) ___ several cars.
4. Soon, companies (extract) ___ protein from whey.
5. Tomorrow, cheesemakers (manage) ___ salty whey more carefully.
Discussion
For reflection or speaking practice — not graded.
- What are the environmental benefits and challenges of turning food waste into fuel?
- Would you be willing to use fuel made from food byproducts? Why or why not?
- How could this kind of technology change the dairy industry or local communities?
- What other food wastes could be useful as fuel or energy sources?