Growth industry

Small refineries could convert locally-grown biomass into fuel, power, heat and chemicals for neighbourhoods across the UK - a move that could help the government to secure energy supplies and reduce carbon emissions. It could also revive the country's flagging agricultural sector.

The multi-tasking refineries are being researched by a consortium of universities with backing from Intensified Technologies Incorporated (ITI), a spin-off from academic research which supplies renewable energy solutions to electricity generators around the world.

While many in the energy industry have exploited the conventional wisdom of economies of scale to grow to their current stature, the biorefinery researchers believe instead that small can be beautiful, if it is well designed.

They want to perfect relatively small plants that take biomass produced in the neighbourhood and turn it into fuel, energy and chemicals required by the same area. To achieve this miniature marvel, the consortium is trying to squeeze more from less by integrating and intensifying several processes.