Low-carbon electricity and CO2 valorisation are potential game changers for chemical industry

“The chemical industry is in transition”, says Cefic’s Executive Director for Research and Innovation Pierre Barthélemy at the 5th Annual VoltaChem Event ‘Re-carbonizing the Chemical Industry by Electrification’ in Amsterdam on 11 December 2019. “With electricity in the EU chemical industry accounting for nearly 1/3 of total energy consumption, the availability of abundant and affordable climate-neutral electricity is key in moving forward”.

We need to find new ways of doing chemistry

In our Mid-Century Vision we define the ‘European Way’ as the plausible path towards a prosperous, more sustainable Europe in 2050. The ‘European Way’ means offering European solutions towards a cleaner, safer, thriving Europe, using the resources we have creatively. This means we need to come up with new ways of doing chemistry to pave Europe’s next phase of development. It also means embracing innovation and digital technologies as the way forward.

Our vision for 2050 links to the priorities of the European Union, which also aim to transition to a more low-carbon and circular economy. The chemical industry – being at the heart of European industry – can provide solutions.

CO₂ valorisation and low-carbon electricity show high potential

Recycling carbon from CO₂ (and CO from industrial waste gases) is one of the options the chemical industry can consider to reduce the environmental footprint of chemicals and polymers, develop the use of alternative carbon feedstock, and improve carbon circularity. This process of capturing CO₂ and using it as feedstock – also known as chemical valorisation of CO₂ – is applied, among others, in renewable energy storage, the production of chemical building blocks and materials, alternative fuels for transport, and construction materials.

In addition to chemical valorisation of CO₂, solutions for electrification of chemical processes and use of renewable energy are also prominent in the new SusChem Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda. The SusChem SIRA provides recommendations on the technological priorities that need to be further developed, up-scaled and eventually deployed to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.  Securing an ambitious budget for research, development and innovation is therefore a “must-have” for Europe.