Joint Symposium: Sustainable Plastics – Joining CCU, Circular Economy and Power-to-X for better Polymers 25.03.2021

State-of-the-art CCU technologies are paving the way to a future industry that is independent of fossil feedstock. New approaches are addressing the challenges and opportunities of turning our linear “throw-away” society into a Circular Economy, in which recycling processes form the basis of a sustainable production.

These are the core elements of the Horizon 2020 projects Carbon4PUR and CO2EXIDE. The aim is to reuse carbon from CO and CO2 as a raw material for the synthesis of epoxides and polyurethanes. Utilising off-gas from a steel plant or a biogas plant as feedstock, the projects follow two different conversion paths and target complementary end products on the pathway to alternative plastics production based on carbon recycling.

In the joint symposium “Sustainable Plastics – Joining CCU, Circular Economy and Power-to-X for better Polymers” the projects’ main results will be presented, thus showcasing the potential of a comprehensive linkage between EU-funded research.

After having been compelled to postpone the planned joint event in Aachen last year, you are now gladly and warmly invited to participate in the online symposium.

The symposium will start with a keynote of Søren Bøwadt (European Commission) who will outline the current funding policy in the Green Deal and Horizon Europe programmes, thus relating the research topic of the two Horizon 2020 projects to the European future goals. Michael Carus (nova institute) will elucidate the Renewable Carbon Strategy that proposes the combined use of biomass, CO2 utilisation and recycling for sustainable production chains.

Framed by statements of their board members, the consortium partners of Carbon4PUR and CO2EXIDE will then give a detailed overview on the central outcomes of their research efforts, also including regulative measures, social acceptance as well as sustainable electricity and feedstock supply as enablers for a future carbon-neutral process industry.

The symposium will end with a panel discussion with Walter Leitner (MPI-CEC / RWTH Aachen University), Maximilian Fleischer (Siemens Energy), Sophie Wilmet (CEFIC), Carmine Marzano (European Commission) and Florian Ausfelder (DECHEMA) about the demands and next steps towards a circular European industry.