Opportunities and Challenges of the European Green Deal for the Chemical Industry: An Approach Measuring Innovations in Bioeconomy

Lisa Thormann, Ulf Neuling and Martin Kaltschmitt
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Lisa Thormann: Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
Ulf Neuling: Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
Martin Kaltschmitt: Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073 Hamburg, Germany

Resources, 2021, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-31

Abstract: The Circular Economy Action Plan, as part of the European Green Deal announced by the European Commission, is highly relevant to the chemical industry in relation to the production of sustainable products. Accordingly, the chemical industry faces the question of how far it can promote its own manufacture of sustainable products. Within this context, this article presents an approach on how to measure innovations in bioeconomy. The methodological framework developed provides the chemical industry with an approach to assess the effectiveness of innovative conversion technologies producing biogenic intermediate products (e.g., bulk chemicals). The innovations within the bioeconomy (TRL > 4; TRL—technology readiness level) are compared in terms of technical, economic, and environmental indicators for the current status, for the medium- and long-term as well as for different production sites. The methodological approach developed here is exemplarily applied, assessing the production of intermediate biogenic products via thermo-chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass. The results show the successful applicability of the developed assessment approach as well as significant differences in efficiency, costs, and environmental impact, both from the perspective of time and in spatial terms within the European Union. Thus, the methodological approach developed and presented enables the chemical industry to reduce challenges and to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy.

Keywords: thermo-chemical conversion; pyrolysis; gasification; lignocellulosic biomass; biogenic intermediate chemical products; bioeconomy; spatial and temporal methodological approach; technology readiness level; European Green Deal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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