Cost-optimal pathways towards net-zero chemicals and plastics based on a circular carbon economy

How to make plastic less of an environmental burden

“…By 2050, global plastic demand is projected to nearly triple to 1,100 million tonnes per year 1 . In an analysis released earlier this year 7 , Bardow and his team found that scaling up recycling, relying more on renewable feedstocks and implementing other strategies to make the plastic industry more circular could keep the current level of plastic production within "planetary boundaries".…”

From fossil to green chemicals: sustainable pathways and new carbon feedstocks for the global chemical industry

“…The global net-zero emission chemical industry scenario developed by Saygin and Gielen 4 still has fossil feedstocks around 25 000 PJ (6940 TWh) in 2050, largely for the production of HVCs, and therefore requires 0.94 GtCO 2 /a of fossil CCS and 0.55 GtCO 2 /a of bioenergy with CCS (BECCS). Cost-optimal pathways for the global chemical industry without CCS were developed by Zibunas et al , 33 finding that the total energy consumption of the chemical industry ranges from 134 to 160 EJ (37 200–44 400 TWh), and that all primary energies for the global chemical industry can be provided from biomass, ranging from 0 to 65%, and electricity, ranging from 15 to 75% of all resource consumption. Huo et al 34 studied the net-zero transition of the global chemical industry, finding a global CO 2 demand of 2.2–3.1 GtCO 2 , and a potential supply of 5.2–13.9 GtCO 2 from the power, cement, steel, and pulp and paper sectors; however, this still assumes some fossil usage in power plants and steelmaking, which may not be available in a full defossilisation of the energy-industry system.…”

“…While there have been several studies demonstrating the feasibility of the chemical industry to achieve net-zero emissions at both regional and global scales, there are no studies, to the knowledge of the authors, providing long-term projections of chemical production to the end of the century considering high levels of sustainability. Net-zero transition scenarios for the global chemical industry by 2050 have been performed at a global level, 33 and considering fossil CO 2 supply from the power sector and the steel industry at a major region level; 34 however, none have been performed at a high regional resolution providing techno-economic implications for the chemical industry transition in the context of a larger energy-industry defossilisation. Even the leading Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) scenarios, such as that developed by Luderer et al , 35 consider the continued usage of fossil fuels in the chemical industry despite reaching 97.8% RE share in electricity generation.…”

Recycling Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Waste Benzene-Containing Plastics: Synergetic Thermal Reduction and Benzene Decomposition

“…Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and plastics play an important role in the modernization of our society and industries. The global production of LIBs is predicted to exceed 1.3 TWh by 2030, , while the global plastic demand is projected to nearly triple to 1100 million tons per year by 2050 . Despite the enormous conveniences brought to our society, spent LIBs and waste plastics also cause great harm to the environment. , The large-scale production and consumption of LIBs demand a large and continuous supply of various natural resources. ,, According to the London Metal Exchange, the official price of Co reached US$ 72,500 per ton, and the average export price of Li 2 CO 3 (battery grade, 99.5%) increased to almost US$ 70,558 per ton in June of 2022. , Spent LIB cathodes contain a large amount of Co and Li metal resources; however, the thermodynamic stability of lithium transition metal oxides (LTMOs) poses difficulties for recycling.…”

“…The global production of LIBs is predicted to exceed 1.3 TWh by 2030, 1,2 while the global plastic demand is projected to nearly triple to 1100 million tons per year by 2050. 3 Despite the enormous conveniences brought to our society, spent LIBs and waste plastics also cause great harm to the environment. 4,5 The large-scale production and consumption of LIBs demand a large and continuous supply of various natural resources.…”