Ed de Jong, Vice President Development at Avantium Technologies (NL), on the current development of the renewable carbon economy
Interview with Michael Carus, CEO of the nova-Institute
Michael Carus: How has the environment for the Renewable Carbon Economy evolved during the Corona pandemic, climate change and GreenDeal and the Ukraine war? (in terms of demand and investment)
Ed de Jong: In general not in a positive direction because:
- Cost of goods have risen (raw materials, equipment etc)
- Delivery times are much longer
- Some brandowners think they can choose between recycled plastics (e.g. rPET) and virgin renewable materials (e.g. bioPET and/or PEF). They tend to chose the cheapest option thereby not stimulating a carbon neutral society by 2050
- Equity is not easy to raise (risk adverse)
Michael Carus: Are there market preferences for any of the three sources of renewable carbon? Biomass first and second generation, biogenic waste, utilisation of CO2 from biogenic and fossil sources and direct air capture or mechanical and chemical recycling?
Ed de Jong: See above:
- Preference for rPET
- Preference for 2nd generation without real underlying knowledge (e.g. brandowners just want to avoid the discussion about “Food versus Materials”)
Michael Carus: What would be the most important measures and policy instruments to accelerate the transformation from fossil to renewable carbon?
Ed de Jong:
- Carbon pricing
- Abandoning subsidizing fossil sources
- Effective CBAM also for chemicals and materials
- Scope 3 emissions included in the costing models
Michael Carus: Thank you so much for the interview.
Meet Ed de Jong at the Renewable Materials Conference 10 - 12 May 2022, Cologne, Germany (hybrid event) and look forward to the presentation “Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formic Acid in the Heart of an Urban Biorefinery” of his colleague Annelie Jongerius, Avantium (NL).
Avantium is Gold Sponsor of this conference and can be met at booth No. 3.
More information: https://renewable-materials.eu
Source:
nova-Institute, press release, 2022-05-10.