Carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas emitted, for instance, in oil refineries – can be used as a raw material in industry. However, the process often consumes a lot of energy.
Carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas emitted, for instance, in oil refineries – can be used as a raw material in industry. However, the process often consumes a lot of energy. istock/Tanaonte

Headline: Industrial Decarbonisation Strategies

The transition to a net-zero economy requires a multitude of strategies for the reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The industrial sector faces particular challenges in this regard: Its CO2 emissions are often not only energy-related but are also produced during production processes and therefore cannot be reduced by simply switching to renewable energy. As industrial investment cycles often span time frames of several decades, industrial decarbonisation strategies today need to aim at achieving carbon neutrality or ideally even negative emissions.

The interdisciplinary research group investigates the political, societal and techno-economic conditions for industrial decarbonisation from a national and international perspective. It conducts research on the politics, policy and governance of industrial decarbonisation; on technological approaches, including Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU), clean hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS); and on public and political acceptance of different technologies and strategies.

In its transdisciplinary approach, the research group involves diverse stakeholders and applies a diverse set of methods to study drivers and obstacles of industrial decarbonisation, understand international approaches and best-practices and develop recommendations for the acceleration of industrial decarbonisation in Germany and beyond.

Completed Projects

CO2Min - Mineral Sequestration of CO2

The natural minerals olivine and basalt are able to bind CO2 over their entire life cycle. However, under natural conditions it can take decades for the minerals to become saturated with the greenhouse gas. How could we harness technology to accelerate the absorption process, thereby contributing to climate protection? What are the potentials and risks of this method for society?

Development of standardised guidelines for the techno-economic assessment of carbon dioxide conversion processes

Research on Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) is increasingly becoming important in industry, research, and politics. The result is a greater number of new technologies, for instance to produce chemicals, fuels, and minerals. However, to date there has been no comprehensive and standardised way of assessing these technologies from a technical or economic point of view. This project aims to close that gap by developing guidelines for determining the economic feasibility of emerging CCU technologies.

CO2nsistent: Making TEA and LCA for CCU Comprehensible for Policymakers

Science-based guidance for the economic and environmental assessment of Carbon Capture and Utilisation technologies: In the project CO2nsistent, an international team of experts is developing and harmonising methods for the Technoeconomic Assessment (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of innovative technologies that utilise carbon dioxide that would otherwise have been emitted in industrial processes. The role of the IASS: Making such assessments applicable and comprehensible for decision-makers and policymakers.