Mobilizing the Chemical Industry to Decarbonize Energy: A Material Science Company’s Role and Examples

Today, technological solutions at commercial scale to lower the energy sector’s carbon emissions to the atmosphere exist. Many of these solutions are chemistry-based, and the chemical industry should be ready to implement such solutions when regulatory and socioeconomic environments open windows of opportunity. Furthermore, the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero by 2050 projects a need to capture and sequester 7.6 Gt/a of CO2. This is a phenomenal amount of CO₂ to be addressed, which might be best characterized as a waste management challenge. Capture, by any means, adds cost, and sequestration solutions have advanced further than feasible uses for CO₂ volumes of this magnitude. Therefore, it is imperative that the chemical industry fully appreciates the magnitude and challenge of carbon removal before it to achieve such goals. This presentation will share examples of The Dow Chemical Company’s journey to bring to the market offerings for decarbonization and to decarbonize its own manufacturing footprint. The term "decarbonize,” for the sake of this report, will refer to measures that lower CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere. Related learning will point to the importance of collaborations across the value chain – with technology licensors, engineering companies, material suppliers, and operating companies. Moreover, the report will discuss the importance of supply chain resiliency, performance guarantees, and a deep understanding of end use applications to back the substantial capital required. Regarding process chemicals that may be used, specific examples will include chemical and physical solvents for pre- and post-combustion CO₂ capture and for renewable fuels processing, surfactants for enhanced oil recovery, and heat transfer fluids for concentrated solar power generation. For decarbonizing chemical manufacturing, examples will include Dow’s plans for net-zero ethylene production and small modular nuclear reactors for co-generation.