Converting CO2 into chemicals

Specific challenge: The CO₂ originating from the use of fossil resources continues to accumulate in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change with disrupting impacts on the biosphere. The chemical industry which heavily relies on these non-renewable and scarce fossil resources is looking for sustainable alternative resources to deliver the chemicals our society needs without the related environmental burden. While there are important scientific and technological challenges hindering the exploitation of CO₂ as a chemical feedstock, it offers great potential to couple environmental protection and economic growth.

Scope:Proposals should address innovative technologies to use CO₂ from the atmosphere or captured in industrial processes as a direct feedstock for chemical production beyond algal biorefinery concepts. One or several routes that involve the conversion of CO₂ into valuable chemicals should be explored, such as (photo) catalytic or biochemical/enzymatic or other novel process technologies. Examples include the use of microbial electrosynthesis, the use of photosystems from plants outside the plant cells - or to construct artificial carbon fixation pathways that are more efficient than naturally occurring ones. The Technology Readiness Levels covered by the projects should range from 3 to 5; please see part G of the general Annexes.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the range of EUR 6 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact:

         Scientific and technological breakthroughs for the conversion of CO2 into chemicals which can lead to the design of industrial processes with zero or even negative greenhouse gas emissions;

         Providing at the long term real opportunity for regions where the biomass availability is less plentiful, as is the case in Europe.

Considering the rather front-edge character of the proposed field, the impact is expected to be in the medium to long term.

Type of action: Research and innovation actions