Exploring Sustainable Technologies and Green Chemicals with with Eric Bober of NexantECA
What was of interest at the Chemical show?
The significant drivers to move to sustainability got my attention being the carrots and sticks paradigm. Being the carrots the growing customer demand, subsidies and changes in applications and the sticks changes in policy and regulations.
As an energy and advisory organization NexantECA has a divers pool of clients, I enjoyed listening to the way consumer product companies interests are framed, from looking upwards in the value chain looking for sustainably enhanced raw materials to downwards in the chain seeking for post use and recycle opportunities, all depending on their own customers demands.
I heard again the reassuring message for sustainability to be profitable, which is the way to approach it based on the 3 times right: select the right opportunity, the right timing and execute it right. This is something to to stick to at this point.
Lastly, when it comes to the green chemicals they focused on hydrogen, ammonia and methanol. Ammonia and methanol are traditionally base chemicals that have the potential to store and transport energy, while hydrogen might be the next big thing with its various coloured labels based on its production source. Ammonia and methanol are facing scale up issues and the business case for coloured hydrogen varies case by case.
Here is a useful explanation of the hydrogen rainbow:
