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German chemical industry defossilization efforts

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2026-08-11 14:17 UTC → 2026-08-17 13:42 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The German chemical and plastics industries are exploring pathways to transition away from fossil-based raw materials toward renewable alternatives. A study by the DEHEMA Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, commissioned by the IREES institute, identified several feedstock categories to replace natural gas and naphtha. These include captured CO2, biogenic resources from biogas and waste, and recovered plastics. The study highlighted processes such as power-to-X, biomass gasification, and thermochemical plastic recycling to convert these sources into industrial chemicals. Following this analysis, several industrial conferences have been scheduled to address the technological and regulatory requirements of this transition. The International Symposium on Feedstock Recycling of Polymeric Materials will focus on chemical recycling to close the loop on plastic waste, while the Renewable Materials Conference will examine the economic and political frameworks, such as certification systems and market instruments, necessary for the widespread adoption of renewable carbon. Recent technological developments have emerged to support these decarbonization goals. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, the LowCarbDry project is testing the replacement of traditional hot-air drying with superheated steam. In collaboration with Evonik Operations GmbH and the Pergande Group, this method aims to reduce energy consumption by a factor of 2 to 4 and eliminate natural gas requirements in the chemical, cement, and paper sectors. Additionally, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed the PEReCO2 process. This method, which received the NEULAND Innovation Prize 2026, uses renewable electricity and copper-based materials to convert carbon dioxide into chemical raw materials like acetate, providing a scalable alternative to petroleum-based feedstocks.

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