People Integrated archives:
Power-to-X & Waste-to-X

On this page we will share the newest and leading articles within Power-to-X and Waste-to-X. We at People Integrated always stay alert and want to make sure to be as updated as possible - and we of course want the same for you. 

Enjoy! 

Power-to-X

Chemical, steel and long-distance transport industries (which modern society depends heavily upon) are producing a great deal of CO2 emissions. Electrification alone cannot decarbonise these industries, so other low-carbon solutions are critical for the green transition in these sectors. Here is where Power-to-X comes into play. Steel production needs heat. Green hydrogen can replace coal and natural gas to generate heat for the production of ‘green steel’. Read more at Worley, Online 2023.

Australia is looking into Power-to-X and Green Hydrogen as a potential replacement for the country’s energy export. Furthermore, green hydrogen is being considered for domestic production of green steel, alumina and critical minerals. Being relatively new in the field of the green transition, Australia is eager to learn about green solutions from Denmark. Read more about the opportunity at Danskindustri, Online 2023.

We have previously mentioned that Denmark is actively investing in P2X technologies. Another move into P2X advancement is the world’s first P2X Tender launched by The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) with a deadline for applications set to September 1st, 2023. The winner will be granted 1.25 billion DKK (approx. 167.7 million EUR) in subsidies received over a ten-year period. You may check out the article for further details. Read more at offshoreWIND, Online 2023.

One of the biggest challenges of P2X is developing new sustainable catalysts for electrolysis that can be used globally for e.g. heavy transport and air traffic. The Danish government and multiple Danish foundations are currently sponsoring the Pioneer Center for Accelerating P2X Materials Discovery (CAPeX) with the aim to develop more efficient and robust materials for electrolysis needed to convert green power from wind turbines and solar cells into fuel, gas or other chemicals. Read more at State of Green, Online 2023.

Energy production methods do not longer rely on fossil fuels. Solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, even nuclear are already in use and they generate electricity. Electricity has been discovered in faraway 1700s, but it is yet again our future. We all have heard about electricity storage challenges. Experts suggest that Power-to-X could provide the sector an extra agility. Check out the article to see what that “X” could be and what role the “Power-to-X” could play in the future of the electric utility companies. Read more at Forbes, Online 2018.

Is the Nordics next Silicon Valley of sustainability? Many Nordic companies are more advanced in their decarbonization initiatives compared to their industry fellows. Global value pools could emerge if Nordics Power-to-X industry leaders would start playing offense - develop knowledge and solutions to help the rest of the world decarbonize rather than focusing defensively on internal decarbonization challenges. How would this trend benefit Nordic corporate landscape and what are the 11 high-potential value pools for opportunists to explore? Read more at McKinsey & Company, Online 2022.

Flying with zero emission is neither a dream, nor an empty promise. This future is near but will require a mix of sustainable aviation fuels production technologies such as hydrotreated easters and fatty acids (HEFA), alcohol-to-jet, gasification plus Fischer-Tropsch and other novel technologies. Though Power-to-Liquid (PtL) fuel could be a leading solution. McKinsey’s report makes the case for using PtL fuel to reduce aviation emissions, describes strategies for overcoming technical and operational challenges, and outlines actions that could help scale PtL fuel regionally and globally. Read more at McKinsey & Company, Online 2022.

Waste-to-X

Waste-to-X movement is still at its juvenescence, but many companies are getting onboard. Multiple forward-thinking entrepreneurs are exploring the circular economy and reimagining waste to create new design materials. Read more at TDA, Online.
 
We have previously mentioned that there is a future for food waste components in the skin care industry. Now we would like to move from theory to practise and present a number of brands that have joined the circular economy movement and upcycle food waste into sustainable skincare. Read more at Glam, Online 2023.
 
Sustainable production is slowly making its way into the fashion and design world. Many of the designers are already ahead of the game and produce luxurious items in an environmentally friendly way already now. Read more about 6 design items that are made of food waste at Designwanted, Online 2022.
 
An increased food consumption over the last decades has led to a large amount of non-edible by-products generation like fruit and vegetable peels, seeds and leaves. By-products can account for 3% - 60% of the total plant. Research shows that discarded natural by-products have a similar (sometimes even higher) health value than their edible processed counterparts. Coffee, tomato, olive and citrus waste are rich in acids, antioxidants, proteins, pectins, minerals, vitamins, oils and have protecting, healing, and anti-inflammatory effects. Do these by-products have a future in the skin care industry? Read more at Cosmetics&Toiletries, Online 2017.
 
Have you ever wondered what your fleece jacket is made of? Possibly out of a plastic juice container. Danish consumers are long used to waste sorting, but not many know what these recyclables become later. Read more at Roadrunner, Online 2018. 
 
A shift from the current linear take-make-waste approach to a circular model would lay the foundation for a system that eliminates waste. The Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy has developed an Action Agenda, which helps to think of waste as a valuable resource, reduce dependence on scarce resources and stimulate innovation that grows revenues. A speedy transition to circularity in five key areas (that are massive producers of waste) would lead not only to a healthier planet, but also to a more resilient economy. Read more at SAP, Online.
 
Net-zero transition is a hot topic and it makes sense to take a look at the “greenest” country – Sweden (Denmark being in 6th place). In Sweden 56% of the energy comes from renewable sources. Moreover within a few decades, the country has revolutionised waste management, drastically increasing its recycling rate and investing in technologies to turn its waste into energy. How do they do it? Read more at Earth.Org, Online 2022. 
 
The World Bank estimates that without intervention, the amount of human discarded waste will increase by 73% by 2050. Shifting towards a circular economy and using waste-to-X opportunities could change this gloomy scenario. Broadly adopted linear production causes millions of tons of trash. But one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure. Entrepreneurs around the world are getting creative and turning trash into new products. Read more at Weform, 2022.
 

The UK government takes another step towards its Jet Zero strategy by granting five projects £165 mil. (approx. 1,4 bil.Dkk). Waste-to-jet-fuel projects intend to cut CO2 emissions by 200,000 tons (equivalent to taking 100,000 cars off the road) and produce around 300,000 tons of sustainable air fuel (SAF) every year. Needless to say thousands of new green jobs are expected to appear as projects unfold. The aim of the initiatives is to convert everyday household and commercial waste, such as black bin bags, into sustainable jet fuel. Read more at Edie, Online 2022.

Most of 2 billion tons of solid municipal waste, produced annually on the global scale, is taking up space in landfills. World Bank predicts the worsening of the problem by 70 % by 2050. Luckily there are technologies turning this liability into an energy asset. Currently Asia-Pacific is dominating the market of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies. European region is also on the rise. Turkish largest egg producer converts chicken manure into electricity and hot water. Italian steel plant captures residual heat from the manufacturing processes and provides power and heat to the local city. Interesting what other innovative projects can come out of the alternative waste management? Read more at Forbes, Online 2019.

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