There is an urgent need for the chemical manufacturing sector to transition to alternative, sustainable carbon-based feedstocks, moving away from reliance on petrochemical sources. Large urban areas, such as the north-west of England, generate substantial amounts of waste rich in carbon, which are processed for energy generation via direct incineration or biogas production. Here, Dr Neil Dixon explores how by strategically implementing a sustainable biomanufacturing strategy within the chemicals sector, carbon-rich wastes can be repurposed as alternative feedstocks, significantly reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.

• Feedstocks are the raw material that get processed into a finished product. By using biomanufacturing processes to repurpose carbon-rich waste from other sources, the chemical industry can reduce reliance on petrochemical feedstocks and adopt more sustainable practices.
• The transition to sustainable biomanufacturing faces hurdles such as feedstock dispersal and availability, scalability of technologies, and a lack of integration among stakeholders.
• Addressing these issues requires new business models to utilise waste for biomanufacturing, better connectivity between industry players, and enhanced biorefining infrastructures.

 The chemical industry at present

The UK chemical industry is a vital component of the national economy, with an industry turnover worth £65.5 billion and is a key supplier of products for industrial and consumer purposes. Currently, the sector stands at a critical juncture – approximately 90% of feedstocks for chemical production are from fossil sources such as oil, natural gas and coal, contributing significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. This reliance on fossil feedstocks not only exacerbates climate change but also jeopardises the UK’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

What is biomanufacturing?

Biomanufacturing is underpinned by engineering biology technologies; using microorganisms and enzymes to biologically produce chemicals that would otherwise be made via unsustainable or potentially harmful chemical processes. By using biomanufacturing, industry could lessen its harmful impact on the environment and human health. Biomanufacturing could also help tackle the burden of carbon-rich waste (including agro-industrial and forestry residues, food waste, municipal solids waste, industrial off-gas, and agricultural slurry and sewage) by using it as an alternative feedstock for industrial processes. For policymakers, it is imperative that they consider supporting a transition towards biomanufacturing as it will be key to achieving net zero goals, improving resource efficiency and advancing research and industry initiatives.

Hurdles to biomanufacturing

Our research on  Pathways for Sustainable Biomanufacturing Futures, specifically considered the barriers facing the biomanufacturing industry in the north-west and strategies to address these challenges. We worked with  key stakeholders across the biomanufacturing supply chain to get an understanding of their perceptions on  – people, capabilities and infrastructure; future feedstocks; and skills, training and diversity.

We were able to identify several challenges and barriers to the adoption of biomanufacturing, including the scalability of engineering biology technologies and processes, public acceptance of such technologies, lock-in to petrochemical approaches, incentives and policies for investment and infrastructure, feedstock access and consistency of supply, managerial and workforce capabilities, as well as upskilling and reskilling.

Whilst certain networks and critical mass may exist across potential industry adopters, innovators, investors, training providers, and workforce, they are poorly connected. A stronger supply chain connectivity and dedicated infrastructure will create a more efficient, adaptable environment for biomanufacturing to grow and deliver its full economic and environmental potential in the north-west’s chemical sector.

Alternative feedstocks

The most pressing need is to put in place robust processes for sourcing and processing alternative carbon feedstocks. The considerations around which feedstocks would be sustainable include availability, dispersal, composition, consistency, and security of supply.

The north-west is home to more than 12,000 agricultural businesses and over 600 chemical businesses, and a widespread brewery, food production and bio-based materials (paper, textiles, woodwork) industry. These industries present an opportunity for developing a regionally connected circular bioeconomy, where waste and by-products from one industry can serve as valuable inputs for another. Feedstocks derived from renewable and waste-derived sources are inherently variable and differ between season and location. Here, the biomanufacturing sector can draw valuable insights from the biogas industry, which has extensive experience in managing diverse feedstocks. Dealing with this variety of feedstocks will require policymakers to work with local authorities and industry, particularly in the waste management sector, to improve or design new collection and aggregation systems of waste for re-use as feedstock sources. This will require investment in suitable, accessible demonstration and biorefinery facilities, alongside collaboration with regional business development experts to establish a bioeconomy support hub.

Recommendations for action

• The Government should work with regional upper tier authorities that have subsumed the responsibilities of Local Enterprise Partnerships to coordinate public-private initiatives to drive regional cluster development, e.g. development of demo-facilities and biorefineries, to help small companies scale up their operations, in a more accessible and economically viable pathway. The north-west with its concentration of biotech and chemical industries and home to the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst would be well placed to trial such support hub initiatives.

• Industry has been waiting for 6 years for a revised UK Chemical Strategy. A new strategy was promised in 2024, but the recent general election meant publication of the draft strategy was delayed. The new government must urgently review the status of this draft and ensure that biomanufacturing is prominently considered here. It must also be reviewed in conjunction with the national vision for Engineering Biology originally launched in 2023 and be aligned where necessary. Any strategy should also incentivise or mandate the use of renewable or waste-derived feedstocks within carbon-based products, or put in place regulations that will help transition towards this, such as requiring organisations to characterise their waste streams so that it can be understood and categorised for onward use.

• The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology should spearhead the development of a taskforce who will be responsible for developing a biomanufacturing strategy for the chemicals industry. This could be modelled on  the Engineering Biology Steering Group which was set up in 2023  and bring  together representatives from government departments, academics, and biomanufacturing industry experts.

By transitioning to renewable or waste-derived feedstocks, supported by new technologies and business models, the chemical industry can further reduce its environmental impact, including the more challenging scope 3 emissions, while fostering innovation and resource productivity. The development of regional integrated bio-economies will also provide growth and employment opportunities across regional supply chains. Moreover, embracing this agenda not only aligns with the UK’s commitment to a net-zero future but also allows the UK to keep pace with counterparts in Europe and strengthens the country’s position as a leader in sustainable industrial practices.