Named Forest CUMP, the research delved into different technologies and mechanisms for producing renewable plastic raw materials from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen. For renewable feedstocks to quickly and effectively replace fossil-based ones, the technologies must be compatible with today’s industrial infrastructure. Given the high cost and long lifespan of hydrocarbon separation equipment, aligning renewable processes with current infrastructure makes sense.
“Our research showed that the low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch process is a technically and economically promising alternative for the production of renewable polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene. We can use Fischer-Tropsch naphtha directly in existing petrochemical processes as a feedstock for the above-mentioned plastics without major additional investments into current petrochemical units (e.g. distillation and separation processes or steam cracker),” added Lehtonen, in a media statement released by VTT.