New sustainability innovations and trends are ever emerging under the decarbonization umbrella, evident amongst a number of material sectors. IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports covers next-generation feedstocks, speciality chemicals, and the production of green steel - three sectors where the need for sustainability is driving decarbonization.
White biotechnology and speciality chemicals
Speciality chemicals have a place within a broad variety of high-performance products and across multiple industries, from food and beverage to cosmetics and industrial catalysts. They deliver precise functions for their applications, helping products to meet strict regulatory or performance requirements. These applications are lower volume than commodity chemicals.
There is a demand for the sustainable manufacturing of these chemicals, considering their wide usage, and the emission of greenhouse gases during their production. White biotechnology is outlined by IDTechEx as being able to provide a more sustainable route to their production, the benefits of which may include reduced greenhouse gas emissions and fewer hazardous by-products, having a positive knock-on effect on the environment.
White biotechnology, the industrial application of microorganisms, enzymes, and biocatalytic processes, offers a powerful route to manufacturing these chemicals more sustainably alongside the utilization of more renewable feedstocks. It can also create possibilities for the production of compounds that are otherwise difficult to obtain using petrochemical approaches. IDTechEx's reports "Biomanufacturing Specialty Chemicals 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets, Players, Forecasts" and "White Biotechnology 2025-2035: Technologies, Forecasts, Markets, Players", together provide a comprehensive overview of these processes, with benchmarking, company landscapes, and market forecasts.
Circularity and next-generation feedstocks
Next-generation feedstocks describe an up-and-coming wave of materials that can be used to produce sustainable chemicals, without issues surrounding land-use or the use of food crops to produce chemicals. Renewable sources such as lignocellulosic biomass, including substances like wood and agricultural waste, carbon dioxide, and municipal waste, could provide a way to greatly reduce harmful emissions produced within chemical product manufacturing if these feedstocks can replace traditional petrochemical feedstocks.
Biodegradable packaging, textiles, and bio-based resins, are just some examples of the mainstream and widespread applications for the speciality chemicals, polymers, and chemical intermediates that are produced from next-generation feedstocks.
The scope for circularity that comes about as a result of many next-generation feedstocks being byproducts of other industries, is what allows end products to be sustainable, and chemicals and polymers to be valuable in their contribution to decarbonization. IDTechEx's report, "Next-Generation Feedstocks for Sustainable Chemicals 2025-2035: Markets, Players, Forecasts", states that chemical production capacity from next-generation feedstocks is expected to reach over 11 million tonnes by 2035, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 16%, showcasing the potential success for this industry in line with growing regulatory incentives and companies' sustainability commitments. However, this is still a fraction of the chemicals produced via traditional petrochemical feedstocks.
The push for green steel sustainability and subsequent challenges
Steel production is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions. This large industry needs to be reimagined for a low carbon footprint future, as traditional blast furnace routes have heavily relied on coal (as both a reducing agent and fuel). Hydrogen-based direct reduction iron (H2-DRI) may hold the key to unlocking green steel, with many players seeking to adopt natural gas-based direct reduced iron (NG-DRI) first as a transitionary pathway. Other players are developing novel approaches such as electrochemical ironmaking, molten oxide electrolysis, and plasma-based reduction technologies. IDTechEx's report, "Green Steel 2025-2035: Technologies, Players, Markets, Forecasts", covers developments, forecasts, key players, and benchmarking within the sector.
Despite efforts to decarbonize the steel industry, there are still multiple barriers that remain to the adoption of newer, sustainable technologies. As an example, government subsidies would be required to support investments, as extensive payback periods and projects still within development stages may act as a deterrent for potential investors. Prioritization from governments of green steel also varies regionally. While some countries promote green steel production and target lower carbon emissions, there is a risk of 'carbon leakage' if carbon-intensive lower-cost steel is imported from abroad. Careful measures such as the EU's CBAM (cross border adjustment mechanism) are needed to keep a level playing field.
For more information, visit IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports, which is home to a number of reports on the latest sustainability technologies and trends.
