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In the twelfth episode of the PtX Lab Talk, experts discussed steps to overcome fossil dependencies in the chemical industry.
The chemical industry has already been able to reduce its emissions in recent years by increasing its energy efficiency. However, this is not nearly enough to become greenhouse gas neutral. Fossil lock-in effects are known to delay the necessary transformation to a fossil-free and sustainable chemical industry. The question arises as to how the climate targets can still be achieved.
What needs to happen in the future to transform the chemical industry into a fossil-free industry? What strategies are promising to accelerate this change? And how can petrochemical plants be made fit for the future? In the PtX Lab Talk #12 on 24 October 2024 with the title "Phasing-Out or Retrofitting? Strategies for Petrochemical Plants to overcome fossil Lock-Ins" we talked about this. Around 60 interested people took part in the twelfth episode of our digital event series.
Despite the different focal points, the speakers agreed that one thing above all is necessary: action. Joachim Tilsted focussed on institutional barriers that are reinforced by actors with vested interests and create high conversion costs. He argued in favour of a combination of long-term strategy and short-term intervention in investment decisions to overcome the current barriers in the industry.
Daniela Duran Gonzalez spoke in favour of a global plastics agreement with worldwide production limits and the reduction of new facilities. She sees this as an opportunity to initially reduce demand and, in the long term, emissions.
Prof Dr Nicolaus Dahmen is researching cost-efficient and sustainable fuel solutions as well as flexible, scalable refinery concepts for their production. Their modular design would make it easier to respond to changing resources and future market requirements.
Video recording of the event
Interested parties can watch all the presentations and the subsequent discussion based on the participants' questions in the video recording of the event.
Speakers of the day
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Joachim Tilsted, University of Copenhagen
„Carbon lock-ins in the petrochemical industry“
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Daniela Duran Gonzalez, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
„Phase-out policy: The case of Global Plastic Treaty“
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Prof Dr Nicolaus Dahmen, Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology (IKFT)
„Refineries of the future: The REF4FU project“
Future events
The next digital event, this time part of the PtX Lab Talk+ series on ‘Scaling Power-to-X: Solutions to Financial and Market Barriers “, will start on 12 November 2024. Session 1, led by the PtX Lab Lausitz, has the topic ”Navigating Market Barriers and Financial Risks to PtX’.
