ICCDU 2019 was definitely „the place to be“ for anyone working on carbon dioxide utilization and the event everybody has been talking about. See for yourself what happened in Aachen:
Carbon dioxide utilization requires the cooperation of many disciplines – the CO2 emitting industries as well as chemists, biotechnologists, engineers and experts for sustainability and life cycle analysis. This is reflected in the variety of scientific topics at ICCU 2019:
Very clear message for CO2-based fuels by Robert Schlögl @mpicec_press in his opening plenary at #ICCDU 2019:
For large-scale energy applications, the main challenges for CCU are: 1. clean electricity 2. a lot of clean electrictiy 3. seriously, an awful lot of clean electricity https://t.co/s2g22fVUvR
Full day at ICCDU today. Excellent presentation by @covestro on their products from CO2 to start the day now moving on to discussions and presentations on LCA and TEA #useco2
Martin Machat presented @Carbon4PUR at the #ICCDU (17th International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Utilization) in #Aachen. Great talk at a great conference with a lot of interesting research and projects on #useCO2! pic.twitter.com/dGeyIYHW3K
Very pleased with the performance of Cristina discussing her thesis work on regio- and sterodivergent synthesis using CO2 at the ICCDU in Aachen, Germany: great job 🤗 pic.twitter.com/n0NcRixzQD
But carbon dioxide utilization is not only a matter of science and technology. Policy frameworks and social acceptance are prerequisites for its implementation, and they were discussed in Aachen, too:
Second day of the ICCDU in Aachen today. Discussing policy, business models and roadmaps for CO2 use alongside lots of new science. #useCO2#iccdu2019pic.twitter.com/y2qO9Ddx4b
Well after 5 different modes of transport It’s finally time for #ICCDU 2019 in sunny @eurogress Aachen Enjoying a beer with my colleague Stelios. pic.twitter.com/QCBxYrDiQg
Scientists reflect what they are doing – CO2 is something everbody is confronted with in their daily life:
I estimate that the carbon footprint for my travel to attend #ICCDU is 28 kg CO2e, including 25 kg from train (London-Brussel-Aachen) and 3 kg from taxi. I saved 9/10 of the emission by choosing to travel by train instead of flight (which would have been 260 kg CO2e)! pic.twitter.com/AdYN3jTYmX
Interview with Michele Aresta, Initiator of ICCDU and Member of the International Committee
This year’s ICCDU is the 17th edition of the event. What were your expectations when you started this series? ICCDU was started after two Summer Schools funded by NATO on “CO2 as Carbon Source, 1986” and “Reaction Mechanisms in Enzymatic and Model carboxylation and reduction reactions based on CO2, 1989”. The ICCDU Series was started for being the international forum where the scientific community working on CO2 conversion could meet. And this has been ICCDU since its start.
How would you describe the first ICCDU – was this more an academic discussion, or did you already envision concrete applications? Surprisingly, in the 1980s there were already practical applications in the field of polymers from CO2 (Al-based catalysts) which went on stream. The scientific discussions already covered other themes such as CO2 reduction, photocatalysis, synthesis of fine chemicals, polymers such as polyurethanes and polycarbonates and so on. What people do today was well known in the 1980s. The interest in CO2 chemistry was at that time boosted by the“oil crisis” (1973, 2000s). Climate change was not yet a serious issue. The low cost of oil has decreased the interest in CO2 conversion in the 2000-2010s. Now the push comes from climate change, a completely different motivation. The scheme below was developed in 1987: it presents the vision I had about CCU 30 years ago:
An Integrated approach to CO2 Utilization, M. Aresta, NATO ASI Series 1989.
The routes to go were very clear to me at that time! We are running now along those paths.
How has CCU (not the conference, but the technology) evolved since the first ICCDU? What expectations were met, what not? And did unexpected develpoments occur? As I wrote in a paper published in JCOU in 2013 “The changing paradigm in CO2 conversion”, the availability of cheap PV-H2 makes possible today the exploitation of CO2 reduction to energy products, that did not make sense in a fossil-C based energy frame as it was in the 1980s. And this is a big step towards “circular economy of C”.
What is special about ICCDU compared to other events on the topic of CCS and CCU? ICCDU is a scientific forum and gathers scientists from usually 35+ countries. In 2015 we had over 40 countries present. It is a global conference that has since a few years opened up to policy makers and industrialists: this is a must these days.
From your personal point of view, what are you looking forward to most at this year’s ICCDU? In future years ICCDU will be more and more inclusive and will sustain the development of new science and technology in the direction of implementing a circular C-economy by integrating CO2 conversion, biotechnologies, and biomass utilization. Integration of biotechnologies, catalysis, photocatalysis is essential for CCU. Synthetic photochemistry is a key step. Integration with nature is essential. Learning from nature is our future.
What will, from your personal point of view, be the „next big thing“ in CCU? Direct co-processing of water and CO2 for developing an “Economy based on CO2 and water”! This is the title of my most recent book published with Springer and this is my vision since ever. CCU is cycling Carbon. CO2 is renewable carbon: one can cycle it again and again as Nature does. This is the basis of bioeceonomy: CCU is integrated with the Bioeconomy concept. We should not make the mistake of keeping biomass utilization and CCU apart! They must be integrated.
Join ICCDU 2019 in Aachen and discuss the opportunities and applications of carbon capture and utilization with experts from research and industry from all over the world!
