To make the chemical industry more sustainable, green hydrogen and green electrons are important in industrial processes. GroenvermogenNL has opened a new scheme to contribute to the scientific research needed for this sustainability. The scheme focuses on synthetic fuels, bulk chemicals, process heating, and process integration. A subsidy budget of €35.3 million is available for the call.

The chemical industry plays an important role in the energy transition, not only because of the sector’s significant economic importance but also because the sector can make a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by opting for green chemistry and green electrons. Therefore, GroenvermogenNL is focusing on green chemistry for the next three R&D themes. “Hydrogen and green electrons for carbon-based chemistry” is the fourth R&D theme for which GroenvermogenNL will form a consortium.

Towards clean and circular chemistry

With the new call, GroenvermogenNL aims to contribute to a clean and circular chemical industry. The goal of the call is to connect scientists and companies in the chemical industry for joint research to replace fossil fuels with green hydrogen and/or electrons in the production of carbon-based chemicals. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions in this process. Examples include:

  • Direct use of carbon-neutral hydrogen to convert CO2 into carbon-based fuels and platform chemicals.
  • Direct use of carbon-neutral electrons to heat chemical processes for the production of carbon-based fuels and platform chemicals.
  • Direct use of carbon-neutral electrons to convert CO2 or CO into carbon-based fuels and platform chemicals.
  • Improving conversion and efficiency through smart combinations and by integrating installations and locations, taking into account intermittent production.
  • Procedure and participation

The call is being conducted by NWO. The procedure includes two workshops, each lasting 2.5 days. The workshops will take place from December 9 to 11, 2024, and January 13 to 15, 2025. Registration for the workshops is mandatory and can be done until November 12. During the workshops, one consortium will be formed to jointly submit one project proposal. The deadline for submitting the full application is Tuesday, March 25, 2025.