CBI Pro-Akademia

On October 1st 2024, we launched a new project under the Horizon Europe program. The BeBOP project represents a promising initiative that could support transformation in the chemical industry towards greater sustainability. 
 
What is BeBOP about? 
Methanol is a key commodity in the chemical sector and can play an important role in the decarbonization of the chemical industry as well as hard-to-electrify mobility. Currently, most of the methanol (98 Mt/year) is produced from fossil fuels, generating significant net CO2 emissions. Biomass offers a sustainable alternative, yet traditional methanol production processes from biomass achieve only 40-45% carbon efficiency; rest of the carbon is still emitted as CO2 – in this case from a renewable source, nonetheless there is still room for a substantial improvement. 
 
The BeBOP project aims to develop a new, innovative PBtX (Power and Biomass to X) facility for converting biomass and energy into methanol. By integrating an electrolyzer into the syngas conditioning process, the BeBOP concept can double methanol production efficiency and increase the conversion of biomass carbon to methanol to over 95%. The project plans to reach TRL 6, and construct a pilot plant, ready for scale-up and application in the European industry. 
 
On the short- and mid-term BeBOP expects to reduce methanol production costs below €250 per ton and lowering CO2 emissions by over 30 million tonnes annually, which represents 3% of CO2 emissions from the chemical industry. The project will enhance the circularity of the chemical sector, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower methanol production costs, and create new jobs. 
 
Role of RIC Pro-Akademia: 
Within the project, RIC Pro-Akademia will work on new methods for extracting valuable elements (e.g. heavy metals) from solid gasification residues. This research will form an important contribution to the transition towards a circular economy and on the reduction of the impact of industrial process on natural environment. From RIC Pro-Akademia, the key personnel involved in project implementation are  Dr. Marcin Siedlecki, with twenty years of experience in biomass gasification and gas cleaning processes, and Dr. Sergii Bespalko, with fifteen years of research experience in fluid dynamics and electrolysis. 
 
We invite you to visit the project's page on the CORDIS platform for more information: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101178117. 
 
 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe under grant agreement 101178117