Coffee might kick-start your day but in the future the popular beverage could also power your drive to work.

In a new development, scientists have made biofuel from ground coffee produced in 20 different geographic regions – including caffeinated and decaffeinated forms.

New research from the University of Bath suggests waste coffee grounds could be a sustainable fuel source for powering vehicles.

This means all coffee waste could be a viable way of producing biodiesel, scientists from the university's centre for sustainable chemical technologies said.

Waste produced from the average coffee shop – around 22lb each day – was found to produce around two litres of biofuel.

Chris Chuck, Whorrod research fellow at the university, said: '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. But, while those are cultivated specifically to produce fuel, spent coffee grounds are waste.

'Using these, there's a real potential to produce a truly sustainable second-generation biofuel.'