For biorefining, this centre includes a Primary Processing facility (100-1,000 kg/hr) for screw-pressing feedstocks and producing pressed material for further processing and fuel production (e.g., pelletisation). A Downstream Processing facility provides food grade: size fractionation and separation capabilities (50-2,000 litres/hr), spray drying to finished powder products, and steam explosion for pressurised hydrothermal pre-treatment. The Pilot Fermentation Facility provides facilities at scales from 1-300 litres; and an automated system for assessing biogas potential of feedstocks. A Clean Room provides a high hygiene (ISO7) area for finishing (purifying/crystallising/drying) and bagging small-scale products (mg to kg) in a controlled atmosphere environment.

Over the last 20 years, we have worked on multiple collaborative biorefining projects, funded by regional, national and international agencies, enabling us to offer a unique plug-and-play pilot-scale facility managed by experienced staff.

Our scale-up facility operates at TRL 1-5 and provides capability for pre-treatment, fermentation and downstream processing. The range of pilot-scale equipment includes screwpresses, continuous centrifuges, membrane separation kit, bioreactors, fermenters and driers.

Our research focuses on enabling technologies and bio-process design, with key capabilities in:

• Synthetic biology – enzyme & microbial discovery and development (TRL 1-3)
• Separation & extraction – bulk separation technologies (TRL 2-5)
• Biomass processing – thermochemical & biochemical pretreatment (TRL 2-5)
• Fermentation science – bioconversion of feedstocks (TRL 2-5)
• Anaerobic digestion – bioenergy and waste valorisation (TRL 1-3)
• Downstream processing – purification and product recovery (TRL 2-5)

We work with diverse feedstocks, from energy crops and agricultural residues to seaweed and municipal waste, developing bio-based solutions for health food, cosmetics, green solvents, biocomposites, bioenergy, and bioplastics/packaging industries.

The centre employs a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together biologists, chemical engineers, computer scientists and industry to address the challenges of commercialising biotechnological developments using a wide range of biobased feedstocks.

For more information, please contact: ath12@aber.ac.uk

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