Projects in progress
The following outlines some of the current prioritized projects we are advancing within multi-stakeholder working groups.
Automotive Plastics Circularity
Optimizing plastic recycling from end- of-life vehicles during the disassembly process, gaining access to specific polymer feedstocks for the chemical industry to increase recycling.
Direct conversion – complex waste to C2+
Setting-up an R&D hub to develop commercial C2+ gasification by expanding process routes to convert complex municipal waste streams to C2+ monomers or liquids for further use
Pyoil supply upgrade
Developing an approach to combine fragmented raw pyoil feedstocks and upgrade it into refined pyoil grades with proven performance as cracker co-feed.
CCU accelerator
Developing a technical concept for an EU localized CCU demonstration plant to test feasibility and showcase the relevance of regulatory rules for a positive business case.
Bio-refinery alliance
Setting up a joint investment and collaboration to replace the cracker with a bio-refinery, managing sourcing, processing and green material sharing.
Successful projects launched
With several years of experience from our previous life as the Low Carbon Emitting Technologies platform under the World Economic Forum, we already have successfully developed and spun-off several high-impact projects. These projects are proof of the power of collaboration to drive down carbon emissions and advance towards a circular economy.
The R&D Hub for Plastic Waste Processing
The R&D Hub works to develop new technologies (with low TRL) for plastic waste processing with a lower carbon footprint and greater levels of polymer recycling. This private sector-driven project addresses the real-life technical challenges of plastic waste processing, working on problems encountered in both mechanical and chemical recycling routes. The first four projects focus on sensing, polymer/inorganics separation at mm and µm-scale, and enhanced solvolysis for composite recycling. The project is supported by BASF, Covestro, Dow, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, SABIC and Syensqo.
Since its creation, the R&D Hub is managed by our partner TNO. Learn more here.
The electrically heated steam cracker furnace
This is a collaboration between member companies BASF and SABIC with engineering firm Linde. Construction of the world’s first demonstration plant for large-scale electrically heated steam cracker furnaces is in full swing. By using electricity from renewable sources instead of natural gas, the new technology has the potential to drastically reduce carbon emissions of one of the most energy-intensive production processes in the chemical industry by at least 90% compared to technologies commonly used today.
Find out more from Global Impact Coalition members BASF and SABIC.
Circular Plastics Refinery
This project aims to assess, leverage, and deploy new plastic waste processing technologies to enable more plastics to be recycled. The Circular Plastics Refinery targets specific types of polymers that are largely incinerated today as they are challenging to recycle. This project is currently developing at proof-of-concept scale to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the chemicals and incineration industries.
More to come soon on this project!
Our Global Impact Topics
All projects start with our 7 Global Impact Topics based on themes that address the industry’s biggest challenges to drive down emissions and promote circularity. We then ideate on new projects aligned with these topic clusters.
- Reduce emissions
with high global
warming potential - Reduce process
carbon emissions - Enable the
energy transition - none
- Increase circularity
of polymers - Utilize alternative
carbon sources - Increase chemical safety
and reduce pollution - Promote E2E
transparency
and certification
