Industrial Decarbonisation Solutions

Can policy interventions improve their economic viability? In the seminar, Gbemi will explore how market-based policy interventions can enhance the economic viability of sustainable solutions for industrial decarbonisation through three case studies. The first case examines the integration of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) in cement production in four countries (UK, India, United States of America and South Africa), highlighting the potential for cost reduction through optimized policy frameworks. The second case focuses on the decarbonisation of ethylene production in the EU via the Methanol Synthesis and Methanol to Olefins processes, revealing the significant carbon price required for market competitiveness and the necessary policy support to bridge this gap. Finally, the third case study is on iron and steel industry globally, showing whether existing policy interventions are sufficient to accelerate the uptake of CCUS, blue hydrogen, green hydrogen, and electrification via six technological pathways. These case studies are analysed using a mixed-integer optimisation-based market penetration assessment for the sustainable solutions. The discussions will help us determine whether prioritizing carbon management for existing plants is more effective than retrofitting or revamping them for decarbonization or should we focus on designing new clean plants from the ground up instead of attempting to retrofit existing facilities. Speaker Dr. Gbemi Oluleye is a Lecturer at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, and a member of the Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering. She leads GII (Green Industrial Interventions) Lab, where we develop decision support frameworks to evaluate, design and blend interventions to improve the economic viability of sustainable solutions for decarbonisation. Our work emphasizes how to achieve competitiveness/ positive tipping points in sustainable solutions (focusing on CCUS, DAC, hydrogen, synthesis fuels, electrification) for decarbonising energy-intensive sectors like Iron and Steel, Chemicals, Cement, Refining and Petrochemicals, Aviation and Shipping. Gbemi has a interdisciplinary research experience and expertise at the interface of Engineering, Policy, and Economics, and over 12 years combined experience in industry (design, manufacturing, and consulting), and academia.