CarbonNext is a Horizon2020 project funded by the European Commission to investigate the opportunities for alternative carbon feedstocks as we move away from using fossil fuels as the main source. We need to find new sources of carbon for industrial process if we are to create a sustainable chemical process industry in Europe that reduces its carbon dioxide emissions.
CarbonNext’s objective is to evaluate the potential of new carbon sources in Europe. It will primarily focus on new sources of carbon to be used as a feedstock and secondarily the impact this will have on on energy availability, price and emissions. The evaluation will include multiple alternative carbon sources: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other non-conventional fossil sources such as shale gas, tar sands and coal bed methane. CarbonNext will map and evaluate these alternative carbon sources and investigate symbiotic value chains between industrial sectors - where can the emission of one industry become the feedstock of another? Questions will be answered such as; where is the carbon? How much is there and is it clean enough to use? Would the price be affordable and what kinds of technologies are needed to bring it in the value chain? Are the sources connected to established infrastructures? And last but not least, how will the current political framework conditions influence the result of the evaluation?
The CarbonNext project will inform, as a basis for decision-making, Europe’s SME’s, large industry and policymakers with an enhanced understanding of the impact and opportunities for new sources of carbon for the processing industry. CarbonNext will primarily focus on new sources of carbon as a feedstock and secondarily the impact on energy availability, price and emissions.
CarbonNext is coordinated by DECHEMA, the Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnolgy e.V from Germany, with the Dutch consultancy Trinomics and The University of Sheffield from the UK as project partners.
CarbonNext will evaluate the potential use of CO2/CO and non-conventional fossil natural resources as carbon-feedstock and energy for the process industry in Europe. This will significantly help to understand the symbiosis between different sectors and industries in the context of the need for further CO2 reduction, resource efficiency, independency, and circular production as well as industrial renaissance in Europe and the need for energy to support that development.
Objective 1: Understand new sources of feedstock and map the value chains through which they could become a resource for the process industry
• Creation of a detailed map of available and potential CO2/CO-containing gases and non-conventional fossil natural resources in Europe, which can be used as alternative feedstock to cover industry needs or can improve existing processes and/or industrial symbiosis. Characterization of industrial value chains within which the new feedstock types could be integrated.
• Identification of industrial symbiosis opportunities based on evaluation of existing interoperate concepts between branches such as cement, chemistry or steel, and existing carbon sources and demands.
Objective 2: Understand the conditions surrounding the implementation of alternative carbon sources for chemical production and the use of non-conventional fossil feedstock
• Assessment of feedstock costs including the cost of CO2 and other non-conventional feedstock. In particular, the ETS price necessary for economic feasibly in difference CO2 utilization routes and geographical locations will be undertaken.
• Assessment of acceptance of the new routes will be undertaken engaging stakeholders in industry, policy and the general public.
• Identification of disruptive technologies, policies and economic factors that could have a serious positive or detrimental effect on the deployment of the most promising routes. Risk impact analysis will be carried out on each factor.
Objective 3: Assess the economic and environmental impact of utilizing CO2/ CO and non-conventional fossil fuels as feedstock in the process industry
• Definition of a methodology and a set of environmental and economic indicators to assess and compare different CO2/CO and non-conventional fossil resources utilization routes
• Provide a comparative economic and environmental analysis of selected routes to help decision-makers understand the impact of different routes
• Provide a tool to compare new emerging routes in the future
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No 723678