Fuel cell technology has a crucial role to play in future sustainable and distributed energy generation. With the issue of a reliable hydrogen supply in mind, fuel processing of fossil and renewable fuels is a viable option. Mobile and portable power generation systems require a compact hydrogen source when fuel cell technology is applied especially in applications focused on the small scale stationary level. Fuel processing is a feasible option to meet the limited space demands of auxiliary power units (APUs) due to the high energy density of liquid fuels. Many critical issues need to be addressed when microstructured reactors are applied. The most crucial of these are scale-up with respect to system integration, careful control of heat management and an increase in the durability of the catalyst. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Institution of Chemical Engineers.