The aim is clear: to meet our climate targets, we need to reduce our carbon emissions to zero by 2050. However, companies in the chemical, energy and processing industries are still largely dependent on the fossil feedstocks that cause these emissions. VoltaChem is working with industrial partners on solutions to eliminate fossil feedstocks and close the carbon cycle. Within this cycle, CO2 will no longer be a source of harmful emissions, but a source for making new products.
Radical change
‘This does, however, mean making a radical change and building completely new industries,’ says VoltaChem business manager Martijn de Graaff. ‘We are working with leading companies in the relevant sectors on various pathways towards a sustainable future involving new business models. New technologies are indispensable, but businesses also need to see that there is a prospect of a profitable future.’
Successful transformation
There are many challenges to overcome, but VoltaChem is convinced it can play a crucial role in successfully transforming the chemical industry. Today, this transformation is still entirely dependent on carbon, global demand for which to produce chemicals and derivatives will more than double by 2050. At present, as much as 85% of the carbon required is obtained from fossil sources. The current renewable share, amounting to 15%, needs to be increased to 100% within 30 years. That means using plastic waste, biomass and CO2 as feedstocks…
