Off Grid

Creating a circular economy is an essential sustainability target for governments, brands, materials suppliers, and the public. Key to pushing these sustainability efforts, which range from sustainability roadmaps developed by chemical and material companies to sustainable material usage targets adopted by brands, is the danger that growing global plastic consumption poses to the environment.

Wednesday 22 November 2023 - The current Li-ion battery landscape and recent developments in recycling and end-of-life management; Alternative battery technologies, such as solid-state (SSB), sodium-ion (Na-ion), and redox flow batteries (RFBs), amongst others; Hydrogen's evolving role as a feedstock, fuel and energy carrier and its latest technological and market developments

As the energy and industrial landscapes experience transformative shifts, the hydrogen economy stands at the threshold of sustainable growth. The envisioned hydrogen value chain will integrate production, storage, and distribution systems, supporting a wide array of applications that span industrial processes to various transportation sectors.

CCUS is a central part of every industrial decarbonization roadmap. At its heart, this is a separation challenge, which therefore brings about the question of whether membranes can be used.

In recent years, interest and activity in the hydrogen sector have accelerated, driven by governments recognizing hydrogen's role in the energy transition and companies worldwide capitalizing on emerging market opportunities through the supply of services, products, technologies, and projects.

Thursday 10 August - Introduction to the hydrogen economy and hydrogen's market drivers; Overview of low-carbon hydrogen production; Hydrogen storage & distribution pathways, players and applications; Overview and comparison of hydrogen end-use sectors and fuel cells; Outlook on the hydrogen economy

The hydrogen economy envisions a future energy infrastructure where low-carbon hydrogen is utilized to decarbonize critical industrial sectors and long-haul transportation while satisfying the increasing demand for low-carbon energy.

For many decades there has been an extensive amount of materials science R&D focussed on developing next-generation gas separation membranes. However, to date, the market is still dominated by those polymeric materials that initially gained commercial adoption in the late 20th century.

By taking advantage of assembly line production, SMRs promise cost reductions and shorter construction times relative to their conventional counterparts. The first nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) are already operational in Russia and China, but widening adoption will require both technical and regulatory developments, including development in fuel supply chains and international licensing standardization.

Thursday 22 June 2023 - Gas Separation Membranes: Decarbonization Driving New Market Opportunities. Overview of the technical advantages, history, and limitations of gas separation membranes; Technology appraisal of incumbent and emerging membrane materials; Market analysis of the emerging application areas including biogas upgrading, carbon capture, and the hydrogen infrastructure; For each market, a comparison against alternative separation techniques (e.g., PSA or cryogenic) and discussion on pain points and technical requirements; Independent outlook and technology roadmap for the commercial penetration of membranes in the fields of energy and decarbonization