The chemical sector, which contributes to 3% of worldwide CO₂ emissions, is transforming. With fossil fuels deeply entrenched in its processes, the journey towards defossilisation presents significant challenges.
The new paper “From Fossil to Green Chemicals: Sustainable Pathways and New Carbon Feedstocks For the Global Chemical Industry”, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, discusses the challenges and solutions for reducing the chemical industry’s reliance on fossil fuels and its carbon emissions. It suggests that developing green carbon feedstocks like electricity-based and biomass-based methanol can help.
The paper also presents scenarios for achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, 2050, and 2060, highlighting the potential for electricity-based chemicals (e-chemicals) to be the most cost-effective way to transition the industry to sustainability.
The study was co-authored by our SAC member Christian Breyer, Professor at LUT University, Tuomas Koiranen, Dominik Keiner, Mahdi Fasihi and Gabriel Lopez.
Find the paper here.
