| Project Detail |
Bulk chemicals—such as ammonia, ethylene, and methanol—are produced at the very largest scales (up to hundreds of millions of tons) annually, and responsible for nearly 1 gigaton of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Zero-carbon, “green” methods of making bulk chemicals developed with attractive cost structures would reduce the chemical industry’s GHG footprint and enable the potential use of these green bulk chemicals as liquid fuels for shipping/long-distance trucking and/or to help transport green hydrogen.
Project Innovation + Advantages:
Copernic Catalysts will design novel chemical catalysts to reduce the energy use and carbon footprint of bulk chemical reactions. Bulk chemicals—such as ammonia, ethylene, and methanol—are produced at very large scales, often up to hundreds of millions of tons annually, and are responsible for nearly one gigaton of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions every year. Copernic Catalysts will focus on creating a faster trajectory for developing more energy-/carbon-efficient processes for the bulk chemicals industry, while also allowing for the development of more cost-competitive zero-carbon chemicals and fuels. This transformational work has the potential to develop processes for alternative fuels that would increase U.S. energy independence, reduce GHG emissions, and improve the efficiency of the domestic chemicals industry.
Potential Impact:
Copernic Catalysts will focus on creating a faster trajectory for developing more energy-/carbon-efficient processes for the bulk chemicals industry. |
