6 key challenges when scaling up sustainable chemical processes

The chemical industry is undergoing a fundamental change in the move away from fossil-based resources as well as energy intensive and high-carbon emitting processes. Numerous reports exemplify the need for more sustainable materials and processing methods to achieve set targets to mitigate climate change, with many industry leaders actively leading the way, including BASF, Unilever, Dow, Shell, BMW, Patagonia and L’Oréal.

In practice, green chemistry principles are increasingly being adopted at the research level, but taking these lab-scale innovations and turning them into full-scale industrial processes can present unique challenges with a whole host of additional considerations that must be addressed for commercial success. 

1. Green solvent and reagent availability

While lab-scale reactions can often make use of niche, environmentally friendly solvents or reagents, these compounds can be expensive, difficult to source in bulk, or lack the robustness needed for industrial-scale operations. The limited commercial supply and inconsistent quality of green solvents like bio-based esters or supercritical CO₂, for example, can hinder reproducibility and increase costs. Similarly, many green reagents haven’t been optimised for long-term storage or large-scale manufacturing. 

Bridging this gap requires not only innovation in green chemistry but also strategic investment in supply chains and scalable production technologies to ensure these sustainable materials are as practical as they are environmentally beneficial. 

2. Waste prevention

Sustainable processes aim to reduce or eliminate waste, often using atom-efficient reactions and avoiding unnecessary workups. While lab-scale reactions allow for precise control and minimal waste generation, transitioning to industrial-scale production often introduces inefficiencies that lead to increased by-products, solvent losses and energy consumption. Processes that appear clean and efficient in small batches can reveal hidden waste streams when scaled, such as excess heat, unreacted feedstocks, or complex separation processes. 

Designing scalable systems that minimise these issues requires a deep understanding of process integration, reaction kinetics and lifecycle impacts. True waste prevention at scale demands not just greener reactions, but a holistic re-design of how materials flow through the entire production pipeline. 

One way that this could be achieved is through the use of biocatalytic technologies, where enzymes can be used to replace toxic metal-based catalysts and water can be used a substitute for flammable organic solvents, dramatically reducing undesirable waste streams and safety risks while producing highly pure products that require minimal downstream purification. Our project with Oxford University demonstrated this in practice.

3. Energy efficiency

Achieving energy efficiency at scale is a major hurdle in the development of sustainable chemical processes. In the lab, reactions may be finely tuned to operate under mild conditions with minimal energy input. However, when scaled up, maintaining those same conditions across large volumes can be significantly more energy-intensive due to heat and mass transfer limitations, equipment inefficiencies, and longer processing times. 

Processes that rely on precise temperature or pressure control can become costly and less sustainable when scaled, especially if they depend on non-renewable energy sources. Overcoming this challenge requires innovative reactor design, process intensification, and integration with renewable energy systems to ensure that scaling up doesn’t undo the environmental benefits achieved at smaller scales. 

4. Life cycle assessment (LCA)

At lab scale, the environmental impact of a process may appear minimal, but a full LCA, considering raw material sourcing, energy use, emissions and end-of-life disposal, can reveal hidden burdens that only emerge at industrial scale. For example, a bio-based reagent might seem eco-friendly initially, but its large-scale production could involve significant land use, water consumption or transportation emissions. 

Conducting a thorough, scalable LCA requires detailed data across the entire supply chain and can uncover trade-offs that weren’t apparent at smaller scales. This makes LCA not just a tool for validation, but a critical part of process design, helping to ensure that scaling up doesn’t unintentionally shift the environmental burden elsewhere. 

5. Process intensification

Green processes often favour flow chemistry, microwave-assisted synthesis, or enzymatic reactions, which don’t always align with conventional batch processing infrastructure. At its core, process intensification aims to make chemical processes more efficient through, for example, using smaller equipment, reducing steps and minimising energy and resource input. 

Translating these innovations from the lab to industrial scale often requires entirely new reactor designs, novel materials and unconventional operating conditions. Technologies like microreactors or membrane separations may work flawlessly in controlled settings, but can struggle with scalability, maintenance, and integration into existing infrastructure. 

The challenge lies in balancing the technical complexity of intensified processes with the reliability, safety and economic viability demanded at scale. Overcoming this requires not only engineering ingenuity but also a shift in how chemical plants are designed and operated. 

For example, our project with Croda looked to replace traditional batch-process technology in a core product area with NiTech’s safer, greener, faster, and cheaper patented continuous oscillating baffle reactor (COBR) technology. 

6. Economic viability

To be commercially successful, sustainability must make economic sense. While green technologies often show promise at the lab scale, their commercial adoption hinges on cost competitiveness with established, fossil-based methods. 

Sustainable alternatives may rely on expensive raw materials, specialised equipment or new infrastructure, all of which can drive up production costs. Additionally, market uncertainty and a lack of policy incentives can make investors hesitant to support greener processes, even when they offer long-term environmental benefits. 

Bridging the gap between innovation and affordability requires not just technological advancement, but also strategic partnerships, supportive regulations and a willingness to rethink traditional economic models in favour of long-term sustainability. 

Examples from the UK showing how this is happening in practice include support from organisations such as the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who are engaging with industry to co-develop frameworks for novel chemical processes and sustainable materials. 

How CPI supports process scale-up

As part of the Innovate UK Catapult Network, we support companies with chemical process scale-up, transforming novel ideas from the lab to economically viable commercial scale, ultimately helping innovators de-risk the scale-up process. Using the Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework, we ensure innovations are designed with sustainability at the forefront. 

From optimising green chemistry processes to testing new materials and reactor technologies, we enable companies to validate their processes under realistic conditions before full-scale investment. Combining flexible lab to demonstration scale equipment with real-world industrial experience and applied technical knowledge, we work with clients to align cutting-edge technology with commercial production constraints. 

We offer lab to pilot scale facilities, including continuous flow chemistry, Hastelloy 1L and 10L reactors and 100L ATEX-rated reactors, enabling proof-of-scale up in the development process to reassure potential investors and help companies secure their next round of funding. We also offer end-to-end process optimisation, scalability assessments and robust engineering solutions, ultimately defining sustainable solutions for commercial process plants. 

Our recent work with DEScycle demonstrates this in practice, where we not only evaluated DEScycle’s technology and developed to laboratory pilot scale, but also helped DEScycle engage potential investors. 

The sustainable scale-up journey

Fundamentally, the route to sustainable chemical process scale-up means to consider the chemical process across its entire lifecycle — from reagent sourcing to end-of-life. From pilot reactors and process optimisation, to LCA and economic viability, taking processes through the sustainable scale-up journey is crucial to not only to commercial success, but working towards current climate change targets, and we can help support along the way.