The conference was opened by two of the three project coordinators: Prof. Görge Deerberg, Director of Transfer at Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Dr. Markus Oles. They reviewed the development of Carbon2Chem^® from its initial stages to the current third phase of the project. One of the figures presented led perfectly to the subsequent video message from Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space: since the launch of Carbon2Chem^® in 2016 it has been supported by five federal research ministers.

Ms Bär emphasized the importance of a climate-neutral energy supply for Germany, stating that achieving this goal is not a sprint, but a relay race involving many participants, in which cooperation is a key factor. The minister also praised the commitment of everyone involved in the project, describing Carbon2Chem^® as a "pacemaker for the energy transition".

A look at the final phase of Carbon2Chem^®

In his keynote speech, Prof. Robert Schlögl, who is also the coordinator of Carbon2Chem^®, looked at the final phase of the project. The most important result so far is the following: The technologies developed for converting CO₂ into methanol work not only in simulations, but also in real-world plants beyond laboratory scale. The next step is to document these results in detail, for example in a high-profile publication, and communicate them effectively. “It's not just the project participants who need to know how the CCU technologies work. Everyone needs to know that what we have achieved here is feasible,” he emphasized.

Robert Schlögl sees challenges in putting the results into practice as more of a social and political issue than a technical one. In his keynote speech, he said that there is often a lack of will to use existing technology. While implementation is stalling in Germany and Europe, comparable projects are already being realized in other regions of the world. It is not enough to wait for government measures – all stakeholders must take responsibility. After all, climate change is putting increasing pressure on us to act.

CCU impulses from science and industry

Matthias Belitz followed a similar argument in his keynote speech. The Head of Sustainability, Energy and Climate Protection at VCI e.V. emphasized that Germany is already very far along at the project level — and Carbon2Chem^® is a flagship project that shows how CCU can work. However, regarding the large-scale implementation of CCU and carbon capture and storage (CCS), we are still in the early stages.

Dr Iris Rieth-Menze from the North Rhine-Westphalian energy agency, NRW.Energy4Climate, provided insight into the status of industrial transformation in the region and highlighted the importance of CCU products for future value chains. She stressed that companies must now develop concepts to advance the circular economy.

Regulatory framework

Prof. Ulrich Seifert (Fraunhofer UMSICHT) and Dr Nils Tenhumberg (thyssenkrupp Uhde GmbH) presented an overview of the current regulatory framework for carbon capture and utilization (CCU) in Germany and Europe. They addressed various issues, including the challenges involved in accepting synthetic fuels and the different sustainability criteria.

Innovations in mobility and shipping, as well as alternative CO₂ capture

Dr Monika Griefahn, chairwoman of the eFuel Alliance, presented eFuels as a scalable consumer of Carbon2Chem^® streams. After all, some processes in the mobility sector will always be unelectrifiable. Regarding the implementation of eFuel projects, she emphasized the need for technological openness across all sectors.

Simon Schrickel (European Energy Deutschland GmbH) focused his presentation on the production of eMethanol in Denmark. He discussed the opportunities and obstacles of various CCU markets, among other things. He explained that differences in the political focus of individual countries would lead to different conditions for the implementation of technologies. For example: In the UK, for instance, a robust hydrogen promotion program is offset by a focus on CCS, regulatory obstacles, and an absence of domestic sales incentives for CCU products.

Detlef Wilde (Alfred Wegener Institute) spoke about the use of green methanol on the new Polarstern research icebreaker. One challenge is the low energy density of methanol, which is a problem because it limits the amount of energy that can be stored and transported. This means that the tank must be twice the size, and the ship needs to be ten meters longer. Nevertheless, he stated that the benefits of using methanol as a fuel outweigh the disadvantages, and he believes that the new ship will promote sustainability in the shipping industry.

Dr Marc Goedkoop (Pure Carbon Blue Corporation B.V.) presented the concept of direct water capture to the attendees of the conference as an alternative method of CO₂ capture. Compared to direct air capture, some of the advantages are easier storage and use, compatibility with existing norms and standards, cost savings, and reduced energy consumption.

Advances in gas purification and CO₂ capture

Dr Karsten Büker (thyssenkrupp Uhde GmbH) returned to the topic of Carbon2Chem^® and reported on the progress of gas purification in Duisburg, as well as the advances in separating CO₂ from metallurgical gases. One of the figures he presented: Since 2018, more than 4.5 million Nm³ of steel mill gases have been treated, and various methanol synthesis concepts have been tested.

Juliette Poupeney (Revcoo Global Cooling) provided insights into a CO₂ capture system using cryogenic processes. This allows 95 per cent of the carbon dioxide contained in industrial waste gases to be efficiently and environmentally friendly converted into a high-purity liquid form.

Green hydrogen and closing remarks

Klaus Ohlig (thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA) presented electrolysis solutions that impress with their modularity and scalability, and that could play a key role in bringing green hydrogen to market. His message was clear: Despite the market slowdown, the outlook for green hydrogen remains positive. Key factors for the upturn include off-take agreements, competitiveness, regulation, financing models and infrastructure.

At the end of the conference, Robert Schlögl made an urgent call to action to the participants once again. Despite the many solutions presented, Germany is not as advanced as one might think in terms of the green transformation of industry. "A global catastrophe is looming, and it is our responsibility to take action and address the consequences of climate change."