Net-zero emissions chemical industry in a world of limited resources

Paolo Gabrielli; Lorenzo Rosa; Matteo Gazzani; Raoul Meys; André Bardow; Marco Mazzotti; Giovanni Sansavini

doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2023.05.006

Net-zero emissions chemical industry in a world of limited resources

Paolo Gabrielli^*, Lorenzo Rosa, Matteo Gazzani, Raoul Meys, André Bardow, Marco Mazzotti, Giovanni Sansavini

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

The chemical industry is responsible for about 5% of global CO₂ emissions and is key to achieving net-zero targets. Decarbonizing this industry, nevertheless, faces particular challenges given the widespread use of carbon-rich raw materials, the need for high-temperature heat, and the complex global value chains. Multiple technology routes are now available for producing chemicals with net-zero CO₂ emissions based on biomass, recycling, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. However, the extent to which these routes are viable with respect to local availability of energy and natural resources remains unclear. In this review, we compare net-zero routes by quantifying their energy, land, and water requirements and the corresponding induced resource scarcity at the country level and further discuss the technical and environmental viability of a net-zero chemical industry. We find that a net-zero chemical industry will require location-specific integrated solutions that combine net-zero routes with circular approaches and demand-side measures and might result in a reshaping of the global chemicals trade.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	682-704
Number of pages	23
Journal	One Earth
Volume	6
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.05.006
Publication status	Published - Jun 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The research published in this report was partially carried out with the support of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy as part of the SWEET PATHFNDR project. The research of P.G. was partially funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation exchange grant no. 214037 , for his research stay at the Department of Global Ecology at Carnegie Institution for Science . The authors bear sole responsibility for the conclusions and the results.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s)

Funding

The research published in this report was partially carried out with the support of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy as part of the SWEET PATHFNDR project. The research of P.G. was partially funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation exchange grant no. 214037 , for his research stay at the Department of Global Ecology at Carnegie Institution for Science . The authors bear sole responsibility for the conclusions and the results.

Funders	Funder number
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung	214037
Bundesamt für Energie

Keywords

biomass
carbon capture utilization and storage
chemicals
environmental impacts
fertilizers
net-zero emissions
plastics

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10.1016/j.oneear.2023.05.006Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

PIIS2590332223002075Final published version, 6.05 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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abstract = "The chemical industry is responsible for about 5\% of global CO2 emissions and is key to achieving net-zero targets. Decarbonizing this industry, nevertheless, faces particular challenges given the widespread use of carbon-rich raw materials, the need for high-temperature heat, and the complex global value chains. Multiple technology routes are now available for producing chemicals with net-zero CO2 emissions based on biomass, recycling, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. However, the extent to which these routes are viable with respect to local availability of energy and natural resources remains unclear. In this review, we compare net-zero routes by quantifying their energy, land, and water requirements and the corresponding induced resource scarcity at the country level and further discuss the technical and environmental viability of a net-zero chemical industry. We find that a net-zero chemical industry will require location-specific integrated solutions that combine net-zero routes with circular approaches and demand-side measures and might result in a reshaping of the global chemicals trade.",

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AU - Mazzotti, Marco

AU - Sansavini, Giovanni

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Net-zero emissions chemical industry in a world of limited resources

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Keywords

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