Decarbonization Pathways for Industries

Decarbonizing energy-intensive industries Decarbonizing our most energy-intensive industries is no longer a "someday" goal—it’s a technical reality being driven by a diverse tools of innovation. Whether it's retrofitting existing power plants or building the next generation of blue hydrogen facilities, the following technologies represent the front lines of how we are turning climate targets into operational results. 🟦 1- RWE Power, BASF, and Linde Post-Combustion Capture (PCC) I’ve been following the progress of the RWE Power, BASF, and Linde partnership, and it’s impressive to see what happens when industry leaders actually pool their strengths. By combining BASF’s OASE® blue chemical expertise with Linde’s engineering track record, they’ve moved Post-Combustion Capture (PCC) out of the "experimental" phase and into the real world. After successful runs at pilot plants in Germany and the US, this technology is officially ready for the heavy lifting—helping power plants and waste-to-energy facilities tackle their emissions at an industrial scale. Source: https://lnkd.in/g5hceCsn 🟦 2- Svante Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) The future of carbon capture isn’t just about scaling up; it’s about shifting the chemistry. I’m really impressed by how Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are changing the game compared to traditional methods. By partnering with BASF, Svante moved these high-capacity "nano-sponges"—where a sugar-cube-sized amount has the surface area of a football field—from the lab to industrial scale using eco-friendly, water-based processes. Svante structured filters can catch and release 95% of CO2 in under 60 seconds, even in harsh industrial flue gas. Source: https://lnkd.in/g9KuEyme 🟦 3- Fluor's Econamine FG PlusSM technology When it comes to carbon capture, longevity and reliability are everything, and Fluor really sets the bar with their Econamine FG PlusSM technology. With over 30 years of operational history and 30+ licensed plants, this isn't just a pilot project—it’s a proven workhorse capable of scrubbing over 10,000 tons of CO2 per day. What I find particularly interesting is their Fluor SolventSM process; because it uses a dry propylene solvent that requires no heat for regeneration, it’s becoming a game-changer for blue hydrogen applications where energy efficiency is the top priority. Source: https://lnkd.in/gZgbV-fu 🟦 4- Other resources for you: SLB Capturi https://capturi.slb.com/ SHELL CANSOLV® CO2 CAPTURE SYSTEM https://lnkd.in/g27ifi6A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ KM CDR Process https://lnkd.in/gFjPhjeX This post is for educational purposes only.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and Climate Club have released a crucial new report, "Policy Toolbox for Industrial Decarbonisation.” This report offers a comprehensive guide for governments to design and implement effective strategies to decarbonize heavy industry. Key Takeaways: The report categorizes policy instruments into three core areas: 1️⃣ Framework Fundamentals: ✔️ Long-Term GHG Emission Reduction Plans and Policies: This includes roadmaps, plans, targets, emissions trading systems (ETSs), carbon taxes, and tradeable performance standards (TPSs). ✔️ Mobilizing Finance and Investment: A variety of instruments are explored, from direct public funding and equity investments. 2️⃣ Targeted Actions for Specific Technologies and Strategies: ✔️ Managing Existing Assets and Near-Term Investment: This involves strategies like requirements for retrofit-ready builds, sunset clauses for high-emitting technologies, measures to reduce excess capacity, TPSs, and carbon product requirements (CPRs).  ✔️ Creating a Market for Near-Zero Emissions Materials: Policy instruments discussed include public procurement of near-zero materials, state-backed intermediaries, incentives for private procurement, collaborative procurements, sustainability certifications, and CfDs.  ✔️ Developing Earlier-Stage Technologies: R&D and demonstration funding, public-private partnerships, innovation programs, and regulatory sandboxes. ✔️ Accelerating Material Efficiency and Circularity: This includes modifying design regulations to incorporate lifecycle emissions and recyclability, incentivizing extended end-use lifetimes, and implementing demolition/landfilling fees. 3️⃣ Necessary Enabling Conditions: ✔️ International Co-operation and a Level Playing Field: This emphasizes co-ordinating carbon pricing, regulations, and subsidies across borders. Carbon border adjustments (CBAs) are explored as a mechanism to address carbon leakage.  ✔️ Infrastructure Planning and Development: Co-ordinated planning and public financing for infrastructure, such as CO2 transport and storage, clean energy grids, and material handling facilities. ✔️ Tracking Progress and Improving Data: Enhanced data collection, reporting, standards, definitions, certifications, and labelling. Challenges: ✴️ High upfront investment costs and long payback periods can deter private investment in decarbonisation technologies. ✴️ Companies might relocate production to regions with less stringent policies, undermining global emissions reduction efforts. ✴️ Resistance from industry, labor, and communities can hinder policy implementation. Opportunities: ✳️ Public support for R&D can drive breakthroughs in near-zero emissions technologies. ✳️ Decarbonization can create new markets, jobs, and economic growth. ✳️ Co-ordinated policy action can accelerate progress and create a level playing field. #IndustrialDecarbonisation #ClimateChange #IEA #ClimateClub #Sustainability #Policy #Decarbonization

7 Phases of Decarbonization Thinking: A Roadmap to a Sustainable Future Navigating the path to decarbonization requires structured thinking and actionable steps. The following is a comprehensive breakdown of the 7 Phases of Decarbonization Thinking, designed to guide organizations in building a resilient and climate-conscious strategy. 1️⃣ Awareness and Understanding Key Actions: • Educate employees about climate change impacts and the role they play in addressing it. • Stay updated with industry trends and stakeholder expectations. • Assess risks and opportunities tied to carbon emissions. 2️⃣ Baseline Assessment Key Actions: • Conduct a thorough GHG inventory covering all emissions scopes (Scope 1, 2, and relevant Scope 3). • Identify major emission sources within operations and supply chains. • Establish a baseline year for tracking progress and improvements. 3️⃣ Goal Setting & Commitment Key Actions: • Set science-based targets (SBTs) for meaningful emission reductions. • Ensure organizational buy-in, particularly from top management. • Publicly commit to decarbonization goals, strengthening accountability. 4️⃣ Strategy Development Key Actions: • Identify emission reduction opportunities, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption. • Prioritize initiatives based on impact, cost, and feasibility. • Develop a roadmap with clear timelines, responsibilities, and resources. 5️⃣ Implementation Key Actions: • Upgrade infrastructure and processes to enhance energy efficiency. • Invest in renewable energy sources and innovative technologies. • Engage suppliers and customers in reducing Scope 3 emissions. • Integrate decarbonization into the corporate culture. 6️⃣ Monitoring and Reporting Key Actions: • Set up monitoring systems to accurately track emissions reductions. • Report progress regularly in sustainability disclosures. • Use data insights to continuously refine strategies and improve effectiveness. 7️⃣ Review and Continuous Improvement Key Actions: • Periodically review strategies and performance to align with targets. • Incorporate feedback and lessons learned from past initiatives. • Update goals to reflect advancements in technology, regulatory changes, or evolving market conditions. Taking this journey requires a commitment at every organizational level, from awareness to ongoing improvement. These phases not only serve as a structured roadmap but also represent a cultural shift towards sustainable solutions and accountability. #Decarbonization #Sustainability #ClimateAction #GHGReduction #CorporateResponsibility #GreenEconomy #FutureofBusiness #SustainableDevelopment

The fashion industry is at a pivotal moment in its decarbonization journey. Moving away from coal is essential. But what comes next matters just as much. This new piece from NewClimate Institute makes a compelling case for prioritizing electrification over shifting to biomass in manufacturing. Why? Electrification unlocks higher efficiency, aligns with rapidly greening power grids, reduces local air pollution, and avoids the land-use and supply constraints that often accompany biomass. It’s also the most future-proof pathway for deep emissions cuts this decade. For brands, this means doubling down on three areas: collaborating with suppliers to retrofit equipment for electric processes, advocating for clean power access in manufacturing hubs, and setting procurement policies that reward real, verifiable emissions reductions—not just fuel switching. For policymakers and investors, it means accelerating grid decarbonization, financing industrial heat electrification, and ensuring incentives favor solutions with the strongest long-term climate impact. Coal-to-biomass can look appealing in the short term, but electrification is the strategic choice for resilient, scalable, and science-aligned decarbonization. If we want a truly climate-safe fashion sector, the fastest path is electric—and powered by clean grids. https://lnkd.in/e-CCVe8w

We just published our 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤– a practical guide to help companies move from climate ambition to executable clean electricity strategies across EU markets into the Sustainability Exchange https://lnkd.in/eK9PDr_C • 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: it connects regulatory pressure (CSRD and national rules), investor expectations, and net‑zero targets with concrete choices on GOs, green tariffs, on‑site renewables, and PPAs. • 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: it translates complex local market realities into clear pathways for site‑level action, risk management, and cost visibility. This playbook, developed by the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) through extensive research, aims to make it easier for SMEs in Europe (and any other company size too in early stages of their strategy) to accelerate progress on their carbon-free energy journey. The playbook walks teams through 𝚏̲𝚒̲𝚟̲𝚎̲ 𝚜̲𝚝̲𝚎̲𝚙̲𝚜̲: (1) clarifying the 𝐰𝐡𝐲, (2) understanding the 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞, (3) mapping 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐬 by country, (4) designing a 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨, and (5) turning it into an 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩 with timelines and responsibilities. If you’re responsible for decarbonising operations in Europe or need to make informed decisions on clean power procurement, I’d love your feedback and examples of how you’re tackling this in your own organisation! #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #Decarbonization #CorporateSustainability #theclimatepledge

Industrial decarbonization is hampered by context-specific risks; guarantees, one of the most effective risk-management instruments, are under-used and fragmented. A dedicated, pooled guarantee facility for industrial decarbonization could be a game-changer. Consider how industrial decarbonization financing differs from solar: for solar, costs fall as cumulative production scales, and those cost reductions largely transfer globally. Industrial decarbonization doesn't work that way. Whether green steel can be produced competitively depends on the local electricity market, dispatch rules, curtailment rates, technology configuration, pricing predictability over a 25-year asset life, and the offtake market. That's why attributes that might strengthen revenue streams for Stegra in Sweden does not affect the economics of green steel in China. One of many reasons that the ‘environmental attribute’ market is deeply problematic: it is neither an accurate representation of whether materials are truly low-carbon nor an effective mechanism to accelerate industrial decarbonization. But because the risks are specific and identifiable, so are the solutions. A project in a region with volatile grid pricing needs an instrument that bounds that volatility over the asset life. A first-of-a-kind plant needs completion guarantees to meet the risk appetite of lenders. Early operating years need instruments to backstop utilization risk. It is increasingly well recognized that guarantees that reallocate those risks can have the greatest leverage for private capital; they are both more affordable and more effective than direct grants or concessional financing. And that ratio improves with pooled guarantees that allow for portfolio-level management. It has been thrilling to think through such pragmatic solutions with Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE and her colleagues at the Green Finance Institute. They bring decades of experience on how to structure financeable transactions. We bring experience on regional and multi-sectoral planning (including how proper planning, clustering, and energy system integration can decisively shift underlying economics). We share a conviction that industrial decarbonization and green industrialization more generally are eminently achievable if properly planned for, with the relevant risks pragmatically identified, allocated, and managed. Laura Garcia Cancino, Rhian-Mari and I make the case for a pooled guaranteed facility for industrial decarbonization in a new short piece out today on illuminem: https://lnkd.in/eD_qWytA We would love to discuss with those working on industrial decarbonization and green industrialization! I am excited to discussing these ideas in at two sessions at the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF) tomorrow, benefitting from the deep expertise and experience of partners and experts from around the world, thoughtfully convened by UNIDO.

Last week, as part of the ConcreteZero 2-year anniversary meeting kindly hosted by Thornton Tomasetti we launched an industry-wide approach towards the next generation of classifying and defining low carbon concrete in UK. This is based on supported work by the Infrastructure Client Group that Bruce Martin and myself published through Climate Group and can be freely accessed from https://lnkd.in/dWmCNHAu. Through our analysis it became apparent that the use of static and dynamic benchmarks and systems are a powerful combination to drive decarbonisation in the concrete industry. Static classification systems, like Arup’s Universal Classification or GCCA – Global Cement and Concrete Association’s draft Global Blanding can be used to define a pathway to net zero. They can be used in conjunction with the dynamic Market Benchmark (which change as the embodied carbon of concrete sold on the market changes) to specify concrete that meets the pathway and is commercially available for the proposed use. The Universal Classification is an advanced tool for setting embodied carbon targets and comparing how the industry performs in an technology-agnostic manner and when combined with market benchmarks (like that from the UK Lower Carbon Concrete Group) a powerful tool for setting pragmatic targets in policies and projects is formed. This approach is going to be adopted in certain national standards and has already been adopted by major clients in the UK (see https://lnkd.in/dn2BjKig). Publications and guidance will follow soon on the internationalisation of this approach with Universal Classification that enables setting pathways to decarbonisation and monitoring industry performance on a robust manner. Incidentally, this was also the topic of my invited lecture during the international conference on innovation in low-carbon cement & concrete technology in UCL couple of weeks ago. But where does this gets us to? As described in the published document, we can estimate what the average embodied carbon of concrete produced in the UK should be to meet the HM Government industry decarbonisation pathway. As such, we can derive the necessary thresholds/target for embodied carbon of concrete in different intervals, an example for 5-year interval targets to meet the net zero pathway in provided in the figures. The current industry average in the UK is coinciding with the EC60 curve in the Universal Classification system, whilst in most other regions globally the average is higher. It feels quite frightening to realise that from 2035 onwards most of the concrete produced needs to be from EC20 and below (band “B”), especially given the volumes of concrete produced and current maturity and scalability of alternative/novel concrete technologies. A lot needs to be done. #concrete #embodiedcarbon #sustainability #classification #decarbonisation

For industrial processes with high heat requirements – ranging from fuel production to food processing, cement production and chemical refining – making a switch to sustainable fuels or high-load electrification is essential to decarbonization, and technologies for optimizing heat and power will be needed to manage costs and emissions. Until recently, intermittent renewable power has struggled to provide reliable 24/7 medium/high-temperature power needed by industry. Rondo Energy is tackling that problem with modular, scalable heat batteries. Rondo will be building full scale infrastructure for industrial decarbonization in 2025 in 3 European countries with the support of EIB and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, taking a big step forward in scaling this technology. Accelerating the development and deployment of key low emission technologies is critical to put the industrial sector on a net-zero emissions scenario trajectory. Recently I caught up with Eric Trusiewicz to share some of the critical factors for green tech start-ups to effectively move forward on the scale curve. And it was yet another reminder that low-carbon technologies are advancing non-linearly. It takes a while to reach commercial readiness, and then adoption accelerates. It's new, until it isn't.

🚀 New Paper Alert! 🌍🔬 I'm thrilled to share our latest publication: "Optimal Combination of Net-Zero Pathways for Minimum Energy, Land, and Water Consumption in Chemical Production." This groundbreaking study explores achieving net-zero emissions in chemical production by optimally combining electrification, biomass-based processes, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Key findings include: 🔋 Net-zero pathways can significantly reduce energy consumption by nearly 60% and land and water use by 90% compared to single-pathway strategies. 🌿 Waste biomass is most effective for producing ammonia and methanol, while carbon capture and storage is best for plastics production. 🌍 A mixed strategy minimizes resource use, leveraging locally available waste biomass and CO2 storage. This work underscores the importance of a holistic approach to decarbonizing the chemical industry, balancing resource use and environmental impact. A huge thank you to Paolo Gabrielli and Hanne Goericke for leading this project with exceptional insight and dedication. Your leadership has been invaluable! 👏 Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/gQ8w6imE #NetZero #Sustainability #ChemicalProduction #Decarbonization #RenewableEnergy #Research #Innovation #EnvironmentalScience

What's going to close the $7 trillion gap in climate finance? One of my favorite reports each year from Climate Policy Initiative has some ideas for scaling the investments needed to align with a net-zero pathway. To my mind, this is the best report each year on the state of climate finance. It shows you: -Where financial flows are going from (across public and private sources) -Where money is going to (in industry, location, and activity) -What our estimated needs are across sectors and regions -The mitigation potential to unlock across sectors -Strategies for scaling both public and private investment. Here's a look at the sector gaps we are seeing to date and how they can be overcome. Energy systems- need a 2.5-fold increase in mitigation finance to align with average 2024 to 2030 needs. This sector has the highest emissions reduction potential, requiring investment in renewables, grid modernization, and storage solutions. Transport- also requires an almost 2.5-fold increase in mitigation finance, alongside a significant shift away from high-carbon investments. With a mitigation potential of 3.2 GtCO2e, priorities include electric mobility, public transport expansion, and freight decarbonization. Buildings and infrastructure- mitigation finance must rise nearly 4-fold. This is sector is generally climate-aligned, but further investment can realize its 3.2 GtCO2e mitigation potential. Focus areas include efficiency upgrades, sustainable construction, and low-carbon heating and cooling. Industry- a nearly 24-fold mitigation finance increase, along with reallocation from high-carbon activities, is needed to tap the sector's 4.4 GtCO2e abatement potential. Key areas include clean hydrogen, low-emission manufacturing of cement, steel, and ammonia, and carbon capture, and storage. AFOLU- holds great untapped emissions reduction opportunities—mitigation flows should increase 64-fold from USD 18 billion to USD 1,170 billion annually through 2030 to realize this potential. There is also a need to improve definitional boundaries and enhance tracking of finance flows to this sector. Check out the full report here along with the data and dozens of interactive charts: https://lnkd.in/esqBmpfe #climatefinance #climateinvestment #netzero #decarbonization #climatepolicy #climateaction #emissions