Tim Minnshall

Something as simple as sugar. And I love the story of making sugar because sugar processing plants are quite energy intensive. In one end, raw material straight from field or wherever it may be. Out the other end, nice, clean packets of white or brown sugar. In between those two points, so much energy, so much effort is put in to to process that.

And I love the fact that with a sugar plant near us here in the east of England, it's quite amazing because they produce they require so much energy that they used to just burn off any excess they had, they just piped it away and didn't even bother about it. Seeing nowadays how something as energy intensive as the manufacturing of sugar is an exemplar of the future of manufacturing.

And I love the fact that with a sugar plant near us here in the east of England, it's quite amazing because they produce they require so much energy that they used to just burn off any excess they had, they just piped it away and didn't even bother about it. Seeing nowadays how something as energy intensive as the manufacturing of sugar is an exemplar of the future of manufacturing.

And I love the fact that with a sugar plant near us here in the east of England, it's quite amazing because they produce they require so much energy that they used to just burn off any excess they had, they just piped it away and didn't even bother about it. Seeing nowadays how something as energy intensive as the manufacturing of sugar is an exemplar of the future of manufacturing.

And what I mean by that is, what they're trying to do is to make their factories circular. What I mean by that is, there's no waste. Everything related to the making of sugar that in the past might have just been chucked away at the end as a, well, that's just a byproduct, we don't need that, has now become something that is valuable either to the business itself or to another business.

And what I mean by that is, what they're trying to do is to make their factories circular. What I mean by that is, there's no waste. Everything related to the making of sugar that in the past might have just been chucked away at the end as a, well, that's just a byproduct, we don't need that, has now become something that is valuable either to the business itself or to another business.

And what I mean by that is, what they're trying to do is to make their factories circular. What I mean by that is, there's no waste. Everything related to the making of sugar that in the past might have just been chucked away at the end as a, well, that's just a byproduct, we don't need that, has now become something that is valuable either to the business itself or to another business.

Here's a quick example. At the end of the process of making sugar, you often end up with some very low-grade types of sugar sort of heading to the molasses end of things, and there's not that much you can do with it. But by building a bioethanol plant at the end of the sugar production line, they can actually produce biofuel.

Here's a quick example. At the end of the process of making sugar, you often end up with some very low-grade types of sugar sort of heading to the molasses end of things, and there's not that much you can do with it. But by building a bioethanol plant at the end of the sugar production line, they can actually produce biofuel.

Here's a quick example. At the end of the process of making sugar, you often end up with some very low-grade types of sugar sort of heading to the molasses end of things, and there's not that much you can do with it. But by building a bioethanol plant at the end of the sugar production line, they can actually produce biofuel.

They can actually start making fuel from the residual, the waste products of making sugar. It's quite amazing. Another example they did was they were producing a lot of CO2, of carbon dioxide. And this was just being vented to the atmosphere, which is not good. So the sugar plant decided, they said, well, what else could we use CO2 for? and heat?

They can actually start making fuel from the residual, the waste products of making sugar. It's quite amazing. Another example they did was they were producing a lot of CO2, of carbon dioxide. And this was just being vented to the atmosphere, which is not good. So the sugar plant decided, they said, well, what else could we use CO2 for? and heat?

They can actually start making fuel from the residual, the waste products of making sugar. It's quite amazing. Another example they did was they were producing a lot of CO2, of carbon dioxide. And this was just being vented to the atmosphere, which is not good. So the sugar plant decided, they said, well, what else could we use CO2 for? and heat?

And the answer is for ripening crops, things like tomatoes. So as a side business, they set up the production of glasshouses specifically for ripening tomatoes and pumped all their excess heat and CO2 into those greenhouses, making a wonderful environment for ripening tomatoes.

And the answer is for ripening crops, things like tomatoes. So as a side business, they set up the production of glasshouses specifically for ripening tomatoes and pumped all their excess heat and CO2 into those greenhouses, making a wonderful environment for ripening tomatoes.

And the answer is for ripening crops, things like tomatoes. So as a side business, they set up the production of glasshouses specifically for ripening tomatoes and pumped all their excess heat and CO2 into those greenhouses, making a wonderful environment for ripening tomatoes.

Interestingly, when they found out that the market for tomatoes was getting a bit challenging, they actually switched to the production of medicinal cannabis, which has proved to be a growing market in certain countries at the moment.

Interestingly, when they found out that the market for tomatoes was getting a bit challenging, they actually switched to the production of medicinal cannabis, which has proved to be a growing market in certain countries at the moment.

Interestingly, when they found out that the market for tomatoes was getting a bit challenging, they actually switched to the production of medicinal cannabis, which has proved to be a growing market in certain countries at the moment.

So again, this idea that a simple thing like a packet of sugar, you're sitting there, you tear the top off, pour it into your coffee, I would never have given that a moment's thought. That, even the making of sugar, is an incredibly complex manufacturing story.