Speciality Chemicals Magazine JUL / AUG 2024 | Page 49

SUSTAINABILITY
The GIC aims to continue growing , both among chemical companies and across the value chain with new members and partners for increased positive impact .
Ideation to implementation
Leveraging collaboration among member companies and strategic partnerships , the GIC aims to advance a diverse portfolio of projects that address critical environmental challenges . Through strategic alliances with organisations like the Boston Consulting Group , the GIC has identified seven global impact topics which all projects must address :
• Reduce process carbon emissions
• Reduce emissions with high global warming potential
• Enable the energy transition
• Increase circularity of polymers
• Utilise alternative carbon sources
• Increase chemical safety and pollution
• Promote end-to-end transparency and certification
GIC members convene quarterly to ideate on the specific challenges and opportunities to address these impact topics in the form of tangible projects . Together with partners such as the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in the Netherlands , the GIC works with members , partners and startups to define clear value propositions and challenges to solve on specific projects . Depending on the project , different members may choose to participate based on the relevance to their specific business and their available resources to contribute . Projects are prioritised and developed over regular weekly working group meetings .
As projects move through the innovation and development funnel , they will either advance and get spun-off from GIC or be deemed as secondary priority to develop at a later stage . The following three projects are examples of some of the current projects in progress , highlighting the impact topic and the challenge to overcome :
• Direct conversion of complex waste to C 2
+: Setting-up an R & D hub to develop commercial C 2
+ gasification by expanding process routes to convert complex municipal waste streams to C 2
+ monomers or liquids for further use
• Carbon capture & use ( CCU ) accelerator : Developing a technical concept for an EU-localised 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
A platform for pilots
Among the flagship projects spearheaded by the GIC is the R & D Hub for Plastic Waste Processing . With less than 10 % of the 400 million tonnes / year of plastic produced being recycled , there is an urgent need for
Laboratory at TNO
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