A new book on sustainability shows how the chemicals industry can achieve zero carbon emissions

The main drive to zero in the chemicals industry currently revolves around zero carbon emissions. This is a major challenge for an industry that is highly energy-intensive, particularly sectors like cement, steel and glass production that require high temperatures and substantial energy consumption. These sectors are now intensely focused on reducing their carbon emissions to zero.

Key strategies have been brought into play to reach the industry’s net-zero target by 2050: operational decarbonisation, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, and renewable and sustainable feedstocks. The electrification of plants and incorporating green hydrogen directly into industrial processes, such as using it in blast furnaces or relying on biomass as a carbon source to reduce metal ore usage, are just some of the approaches being adopted. Beyond that, the broader chemical industry is working on producing zero-carbon products, ranging from resins and polymers to coatings.

A disruptive innovation that aligns with this zero-emissions ambition is the push to use zero crude-oil feedstock. In this regard, hydrogen steps up as a game changer, not only for its potential in clean energy but also in producing eFuels and eChemicals.

As the name suggests, rather than being manufactured through traditional refining, eFuels are electrically produced and are touted to be...

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