Current use of plastics is unsustainable as it fully-depends on fossil feedstocks and their uncontrolled release to the environment is having catastrophic consequences in land and marine ecosystems. While recycling can be increased the inferior properties of the recycled materials hinders economic profitability. Thermal pyrolysis (>400 °C) can help to recover a fraction of the plastic monomer. However, the intrinsic low selectivity and elevated temperatures limits the economic feasibility of this approach. A more attractive proposition is to convert post-consumer plastics into added-value chemicals or “upcycling” using hydrogenolysis reactions since it can achieve higher yields (>80%) at moderate reaction conditions (T ~ 100-200 °C and P ~ 10-30 bar). A characteristic limitation of conventional liquid-phase upcycling of molten plastics is the restricted contact between the catalyst, gas reactants, and the polymer due to slow diffusion of gas in the highly viscous liquid phase (102-106 smaller diffusion coefficients than in conventional organic solvent), leading to reaction times of 12-96 h to achieve measurable conversions (10-50 %). To reduce the mass transport limitations that hinder the productivity of plastic upcycling the FOCUS project will develop a novel family of highly accessible catalysts with surfactant-like properties that can simultaneously stabilize foams and activate catalytic reactions at the liquid-gas (G-L) interface. In this unique reaction system, the catalyst particles host metal nanoclusters for the selective hydrogenolysis of the polymer chains by hydrogen. Since the catalyst is located at the G-L interface external transport limitations can be drastically reduced. By employing highly accessible catalyst, such as pore-less silica and/or core-shell catalysts internal, mass the polymer and gas transport limitations can be mitigated. In addition, the high interfacial surface area between the molten plastic and hydrogen (2-4 order of magnitude) will lead to unprecedented enhancements in catalytic upcycling, facilitating its commercial exploitation.

The ECOMET project aims at the development of an innovative power-to-gas technology, a two-in-one combination of a protonic ceramic electrolyser and a chemical reactor able to directly convert CO2 and water into e-methane. EIFER, University of Twente, Shell, WZR Ceramics and Forschungszentrum Jülich will combine their competences to develop the technology until TRL 4 by implementing new catalysts and upscaling the electrochemical device. A techno-economic analysis of methane upgrading based on the ECOMET system will be developed and complimented by life cycle assessment (LCA) and societal acceptance studies to facilitate the roll-out of the technology.

As part of the GroenvermogenNL program, research by universities, research institutes and industrial partners in the HyUSE project will accelerate the use of green hydrogen as energy carrier in industry, mobility and built environment. Technologies will be developed for a number of promising use cases. System studies will provide crucial information to stakeholders to take timely and well-motivated decisions. Applications include high-temperature industrial heat, combined heat and power systems in energy-intensive industries, propulsion for heavy duty trucks and ships, and integrated energy systems for e.g. agriculture and waste water treatment.