Thinking towards synergistic green refineries

The switch from a mined-carbon-based society to a bio-carbon based society requires a major shift not only of the resources, but also in the type of processes that produce the products on which our civilization builds; a richer approach to handling and production is required. Natural products from renewable sources will substitute today's purely synthetic products from fossil resources, associated waste streams will have to be utilized for the production of usable materials, with chemical processing being one of the main options. Fuel represents a main class of chemicals that we increasingly rely on. They have to be substituted as quick as possible as they represent the largest use of mined carbon. The paper presents some of the stumbling blocks which prohibit the transfer and high lights the most needed research objectives. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Centre for Renewable Energy.