Six petrochemical companies have created a consortium to jointly investigate how naphtha or gas steam crackers could be operated using electricity instead of fossil fuels. The Cracker of the Future Consortium, which includes BASF, Borealis, BP, LyondellBasell, SABIC and Total, aims to produce base chemicals while also significantly reducing carbon emissions. The companies have agreed to invest in R&D and knowledge sharing as they assess the possibility of transitioning their base chemical production to renewable electricity.
Base chemicals, which include ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX (benzene, toluene and xylenes), are produced in steam crackers and mainly transformed into plastics. Overall, polymers make a major contribution to resource and energy efficiency and positively impact society. Polymers will always be needed, especially in emerging energy-related technologies. The chemical industry has been at the forefront of those innovations and will continue to deliver solutions for a more sustainable future.
Steam crackers represent the principal opportunity for reducing industry's carbon emissions. The key challenges in developing electricity-based cracker technology are ensuring the solution is technologically and economically feasible compared to the current process, fits into a future low-carbon value chain and can be implemented in time to meet policy targets. Assuming these challenges are met, developing and implementing electricity-based cracker technology could help the sector maintain sustainable operations while reducing the carbon footprint of its products.
Following the signature of the agreement, the members of the consortium have begun exploring and screening technical options. If a potential technical solution is identified, they will determine whether to pursue joint development project(s), including R&D activities that could include a demonstrator for proof of concept in the case of base chemicals.
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