The high energy usage in the FPI (as indicated in Table 2 in
comparison to other industrial sectors) allied to the rising cost
and tighter availability of fossil fuels suggests that alternative,
long-term energy supplies must be investigated. The extent
of autogeneration of electricity by the food industry is currently
low, averaging around 400 MW annually from 2005 to
2010 (DECC, 2011), suggesting that there is a big gap between
consumption and autogeneration which could be made up, to
some extent, by appropriate renewable energy recovery from
wastes.