Copyright: PtX Lab Lausitz | Toni Kretschmer
Competence centre PtX Lab Lausitz presents innovative approaches at nova-Institut conference.
The CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference took place on 29 and 30 April 2025 for the 13th time under the auspices of the nova-Institut at the Maternushaus in Cologne. Once again, numerous scientists and representatives from business and industry gathered there.
The PtX Lab Lausitz team also contributed its expertise to discussions with experts from the fields of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), green hydrogen production and power-to-X.
PtX Lab Lausitz sheds light on the future of the chemical industry
The PtX Lab Lausitz team not only presented current publications at the conference, but also actively helped shape the programme.
Copyright: PtX Lab Lausitz | Toni Kretschmer
In his pitch on ‘Crack the Crackers – Thinking Beyond a Cracker-centred Chemical Production in Europe,’ Lukas Horndasch, expert at the Lusatian Lab, highlighted how the chemical industry needs to change to keep up with the energy transition and new raw material flows. The main focus was on the future of Europe's steam crackers.
Copyright: PtX Lab Lausitz
Based on initial interim results developed by PtX Lab Lausitz in a joint project with Dr Clemens Schneider and Prof Stefan Lechtenböhmer from the Kassel Institute for Sustainability, he made it clear that a hybrid approach is needed to transform the European chemical industry.
Neither climate-neutral steam crackers nor methanol-to-X (MtX) alone offer a complete solution. In order to combine competitiveness and climate neutrality, existing clusters and value chains must be strategically developed further.
Copyright: PtX Lab Lausitz / Steffen Rasche
Support measures and regulations must shift away from focusing solely on individual installations and instead enable the transformation of industrial clusters and value chains.
The importance of CCU and PtX technologies
Dr. Irina Akhmetova and Lukas Horndasch explained in an interview for the Conference Journal how PtX Lab Lausitz views CO₂ as a raw material for power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels. Under the title ‘CCU Pioneers – Keeping Carbon Circular,’ they explained the role of PtX technologies in a circular carbon economy in Europe.
They also emphasised the need to drive forward political frameworks and technological innovations to enable this transformation.
About the CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference
The CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2025 focused on carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) and the power-to-X industry.
The conference topics revolved around innovation and strategies for green hydrogen production, the creation of power-to-X fuels, CO2-based chemicals and carbon capture technologies.
Over 230 leading international experts attended the meeting in the Rhineland. The 14th edition of the conference will take place on 28 and 29 April 2026 in Cologne as a hybrid event.
