Biobased technology commercialization: The importance of lab to pilot scale-up

Abstract

The transition of a renewable biobased technology from lab scale (at ≤ 10 L) to pilot scale (≥1000 L) is a critical, though costly and intimidating, step in technology derisking. Once a process has been demonstrated at pilot scale (≥1000 L), there should be a high degree of confidence that the process can be performed successfully at commercial scale. Understanding (i) the value of pilot-scale operation; (ii) process features that can be addressed prior to pilot plant scale-up; (iii) those that have to be addressed at pilot scale, and (iv) the best approaches to pilot scale-up can make this aspect of technology derisking less intimidating, less time consuming, less expensive, and ultimately an easier sell to either management or investors.