Read about how accelerating innovations in catalysis will play a vital role in enabling the UK to meet its net zero targets in the areas of hydrogen production, Power-to-X, carbon dioxide utilisation and the use of alternative feedstocks.

1. www.ktn-uk.org
Chemistry & Industrial Biotechnology Team
Innovate UK KTN
enquires@ktn-uk.org
UK Catalysis:
Innovation opportunities for an enabling
technology
September 2021

2. Innovate UK KTN exists to
connect innovators with new
partners and new
opportunities beyond their
existing thinking – accelerating
ambitious ideas into real-world
solutions.
Source: Innovate UK KTN, 2021

3. • How do we reduce our reliance on fossil fuel extraction?
• How do we efficiently use renewable resources (carbon)?
• Reduce consumer demand in a growing world?
• Outsource manufacturing and importing goods?
Getting to Net Zero - Which feedstock will be using in 2050?
Future
Shaping
Source: Innovate UK KTN, 2021

4. Now
2050?
Getting to Net Zero - Which feedstock will be using in 2050?
Future
Shaping
C
O
2
CO2
• Or through innovations leading to:
• New chemistries
• Advances in enabling technologies
• Circular carbon
Circular
Carbon
Feedstocks Products
Processing
Source: Innovate UK KTN, 2021

5. Catalysis: A critical enabling technology
• An enabling technology that provides a significant opportunity
for the development of new products and processes
• Catalysis will play a critical role in achieving Net Zero in
chemical manufacturing
• A large project completed by Innovate UK KTN exploring the
opportunities for catalysis innovation
• Funding recommendations developed
• Reports available on the Innovate UK KTN website
Deep
Expertise
Source: Innovate UK KTN, 2021

6. Global & UK Catalyst Market
Source: Innovate UK KTN Report on UK Catalysis: Innovation opportunities for an enabling technology (2021) & UK Catalysis Market Study Summary,
Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch (June 2020)
• The global catalyst industry is
worth $34.1 bn and drives
innovation in downstream
sectors worth $15 tn
• Licensing is estimated at a
further $ 16 bn globally
making the total catalyst
market worth $50bn
• Global catalyst market growth
expected 2019–2025 at CAGR
of 4.3%
• UK total catalyst revenue:
$993m (domestic use and
international exports)
• UK catalyst market growth
expected 2019–2025 at CAGR
of 2.99%
• Opportunity to increase the
UK’s domestic catalyst market
share and the UK’s exports to
meet global demand

7. UK has $188 bn of revenue directly enabled by catalysts
UK Domestic Catalyst Consumption and Associated Industry Revenue 2019
Source: Innovate UK KTN Report on UK Catalysis: Innovation opportunities for an enabling technology (2021) & UK Catalysis Market Study Summary, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch (June 2020)

8. CO2 Emitters
Captured CO2 (CCS)
Direct Air Capture
(DAC)
Low Carbon
Hydrogen Production
Waste
(including biomass
& plastics)
Syngas
Refinery
products / Com-
modity Chems
Chemicals
Energy
Fuels
Renewable
Energy
1
2
3
2
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
Areas for UK to grow domestically & lead globally
*includes Heterogenous, Homogenous, Biocatalysis, Electrocatalysis and
Photocatalysis
Future
Shaping
Source: Innovate UK KTN Report on UK Catalysis: Innovation opportunities for an enabling technology (2021) & UK Catalysis Market Study Summary, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch (June 2020)

9. UK Carbon footprint and catalytic pathways
800 Mt CO2eq
through UK consumption
576 Mt CO2eq
UK's produced emissions
33 Mt CO2eq
emitted by industries in the 6
largest regional chemical
manufacturing clusters
>224 Mt CO2eq
saved or mitigated using
pathways utilising catalytic
technologies
Source: UK Net Zero carbon reduction in the areas of catalysis innovation, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch, Sept 2020
Without catalysts and associated technologies, it will be
impossible to achieve net zero
Deep
Expertise
NH3
H2O
H2
Power-To-X
Methane
Methanol
Ethanol
F-T fuels
DME
Formate
Oxalic Acid
Glyoxal
FF
CO2
H2
CO2-to-
Polymers
PECP
PHA
Protein
C4 Alcohols
Ethylene
Biogas
UCO
PSW
Food
Syngas
H2
NM
Non-syngas
route
Fuels
Biomass X
HVO
Monomers
Methanol
Depolymerisation
Route
Ethanol
Solid Waste Conversion
CO
Green
Carbonylations
PBS

10. Hydrogen
P
o
w
e
r
-
t
o
-
A
m
m
o
n
i
a
CCU
W
a
s
t
e
P
S
W
Blue
Hydrogen
G
r
e
e
n
H
y
d
r
o
g
e
n
Other
CCUS/P2X
H
V
O
Example contributions of catalytic technologies towards net zero (Mt CO2eq)
Hydrogen CCU Waste
Pyrolysis & Gasification to fuels (>3.3 Mt CO2eq)
PET (>1.5 Mt CO2eq)
CO2 to Polyols (>0.2 Mt CO2eq)
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (>5.5 Mt CO2eq) Novel Materials from food waste (>4 Mt CO2eq)
Plastic Solid Waste, PSW (>4.8 Mt CO2eq)
(>107.4
Mt CO2eq)
(>223.6
Mt CO2eq)
CO2 to Polyhydroxyalkanoates
(>2.5 Mt CO2eq)
(
>
1
9
.
4
M
t
C
O
2
e
q
)
>
1
4
.
4
M
t
C
O
2
e
q
Power-to-Ammonia (>8.4 Mt CO2eq)
Power-to-Methanol (>4.2 Mt CO2eq)
Power-to-Formic Acid (>4.0 Mt CO2eq)
Power-to-Liquids, Fischer-Tropsch (>2.0 Mt CO2eq)
(<100
Mt CO2eq)
(>88 Mt
CO2eq)
Power-to-Ethanol (>0.8 Mt CO2eq)
Catalysis Insights: Examples of carbon footprint reduction reliant on catalytic technologies
Catalysis can play a key role as part of the move to Net Zero
>224 Mt CO2eq
Polymers
Green Hydrogen Power-to-X
Low Carbon
Hydrogen
Deep
Expertise
Source: Innovate UK KTN and Enabled Future Ltd, UK Net Zero carbon reduction in the areas of catalysis
innovation, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch, Sept 2020

11. Low Carbon Hydrogen
is the top area for clean
growth in the UK
Catalysis for the generation of low carbon Hydrogen
Low Carbon
Hydrogen
1
Green Hydrogen Production Blue Hydrogen Production
• Water electrolysis systems using Proton exchange
membrane electrolyser (PEMEL). PEMEL. The
membranes are coated with Platinum Group Metals
• Catalyst sorbents for sorbent enhanced steam
reforming (HyPer)
• Reactor design & process integration (HyNet)
• Reactor and catalyst form design (Catalytic Membrane
Reactor (CMR) / TVHIP project
• Reduce the loading of the catalyst and the use of
Platinum Group Metals on membranes to reduce
system costs
• Novel reactor and sorbent technologies to support
those in earlier stages of development.
• Catalysis integration and process design with reactor
variants and new sorbent technologies
48%
Minimum Carbon Reduction
(million tCO2eq)
Source: Innovate UK KTN and Enabled Future Ltd, UK Net Zero carbon reduction in the areas of catalysis innovation, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch, Sept 2020

12. Green Hydrogen
Catalysis for Power-to-X from Green Hydrogen
Low Carbon
Hydrogen
1
Green Ammonia Liquids (Methanol, Ethanol, Formic acid and
Fischer-Tropsch)
• Utilising green ammonia as a fuel will require
additional catalyst innovation e.g. either ammonia
cracking or ammonia fuel cells
• Catalyst innovation for the conversion of CO2 to Methanol
rather than from the normal syngas
• Advances in chemo, photo and electro catalyst technologies for
the direct and indirect production of green ethanol
• Further developments around the concept
ammonia cracking catalysts
• Power-to-methanol: Integrated reactor and catalyst design to
optimise production
• Power-to-liquids: catalyst development and mechanistic studies
to tune selectivity towards long-chain hydrocarbons
9%
Minimum Carbon Reduction
(million tCO2eq)
Power-to-X
Source: innovate UK KTN and Enabled Future Ltd, UK Net Zero carbon reduction in the areas of catalysis innovation, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch, Sept 2020

13. Polymers
Catalysis for CO2 Utilisation
CCUS to
Chemicals
2
Polymers Other CCU/P2X: C1 Chemistries, gas
fermentations, green cabonylations
• Polyols using Bimetalic metalorganic complexes in
ring opening copolmerisation of epoxides with waste
CO2
• Polyhydroxyalkonates (PHA) from CO2
fermentation with methane, biomenthane or Green
Hydrogen
• Gas fermentation e.g. CO2 to protein has reached
demonstration/commercialisation
• Further development of catalyst development for
Polyols
• Industrial Biotechnology and biogas feedstock
development for PHA
• Direct CH4 to chemicals and/or Hydrogen utilising renewable
energy
• Green Carbonylation's which utilises CO to make chemicals
before converting to CO2
46%
Minimum Carbon Reduction
(million tCO2eq)
Source: innovate UK KTN and Enabled Future Ltd, UK Net Zero carbon reduction in the areas of catalysis innovation, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch, Sept 2020

14. Catalysis for Wastes to Chemicals
Waste (inc
biomass &
polymers)
to
Chemicals
3
Used cooking oil (UCO) to
hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO)
Waste PET and mixed plastic solid waste
(PSW)
• Conversion of used cooking oil (UCO) to
hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO)
• Decarboxylation, deoxygenation and
hydrodeoxygenation of triglycerides to paraffinic
hydrocarbons
• Produce higher quality material from PSW through
enhanced mechanical recycling (melt blending using a
catalyst), Catalytic cracking, depolymerisation, catalytic
pyrolysis, catalytic fast pyrolysis
• New catalyst for improved processing, for
example, catalyst innovations which result in
better selectivity towards hydrodeoxygenation
pathways are need further development
• Catalytic technologies which can broaden the types and
quantity of plastics that can be produced via chemical
recycling need further development
6%
Minimum Carbon Reduction
(million tCO2eq)
Source: Innovate UK KTN and Enabled Future Ltd, UK Net Zero carbon reduction in the areas of catalysis innovation, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch, Sept 2020

15. Catalyst and process design for industrial application and faster adoption
Catalyst &
Process
Design
4
Catalyst design combined with process design
can result in;
• Step change in activity
• Better operational performance
• Ease of changeout
Opportunity to increase UK capability in catalytic
process design and integration to;
• Decrease development time
• Decrease time to market
• Increase process productivity
1930 2014
Changes to catalyst shape over time
Productivity change over time
CatacelJMSSRTM Benefits:
• Increased voidage
• Reduced pressure drop
• Increased space velocity
• Increased activity
• Improved heat transfer
Source: Innovate UK KTN Report on UK Catalysis: Innovation opportunities for an enabling technology (2021) & UK Catalysis Market Study Summary, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch (June 2020);
Murkin C and Brightling J.; “Eighty Years of Steam Reforming”; Johnson Matthey Technol. Rev., 2016, 60, (4), 263–269. Copyright Johnson Matthey Plc, image adapted and reproduced with permission from Johnson Matthey Plc.
©Johnson Matthey Plc.

16. UK capability in catalyst and integrated process design
• Catalysis innovation needs to cover
• catalyst design
• catalytic process design and integration
• pilot and demonstration scale testing
• UK capability:
• Catalyst manufacturers have in-house know-how and
capability
• Chemical manufacturers have in-house pilot and
demo scale capability with varying levels of know-
how around catalysis
• UK Opportunity:
• Increase capability and expertise to cover catalytic
process design and integration through to pilot and
demonstration scale
• Leverage existing strengths around biocatalysis
Source: Innovate UK KTN Report on UK Catalysis: Innovation opportunities for an enabling technology (2021) &
UK Catalysis Market Study Summary, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch (June 2020)

17. Catalysis - A key enabler requiring investment in innovation
Systems Approach
• Complete supply chain
• Life cycle analysis
• Technoeconomic analysis
• Environmental assessment
• Unit operations
• Single / multiple processes
• Mass and energy balances
• Reaction engineering
• Global Catalyst industry is worth $34.1bn enabling $15tn
• UK has $433m catalyst consumption and $188bn of revenue directly enabled by catalysts
• Catalysts should be considered as a part of a system not as a standalone process.
• Design from feedstock to end product
• For companies developing end to end processes it is not always clear what role catalysis can
play.
• Companies without catalysis expertise struggle to access UK capability
• Companies struggle to access funding to demonstrate processes at pilot and demo scale.
• UK capability gap in catalytic process design and integration (including catalyst upscaling)
• Funding investment needed to accelerate innovation:
• Access to catalysis centres of excellence
• Catalysis funding to support net zero
• Clean growth demonstrator projects
• Expansion of capabilities available within in catalysis centres of excellence
Source: Innovate UK KTN & KTN Report on UK Catalysis: Innovation opportunities for an enabling technology (2021) & UK Catalysis Market Study Summary, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch (June 2020)

18. Catalysis - The Net Zero opportunity
Circular Carbon
Chemistries
Virgin Extraction
Virgin Extraction
through CCU, P2X
Green H2
Carbon Capture and
Storage (CCS)
Carbon Capture and
Storage (CCS)
Current direction Future possibility
Example of how advances in Carbon Caputure & utilisation (CCU)
coulpled with Green H2 and Power-to-X (P2X) can benfiet Net Zero
Carbon
reduction
Carbon
Increase
Net Zero
2. For chemical manufacturing the most significant
decarbonisation opportunity requires the following technologies
coupled together:
• Carbon Utilisation
• Power-2-X (P2X)
• Hydrogen production
• Renewable energy.
3. Overall, the most significant decarbonisation opportunity is
hydrogen production
• Green hydrogen coupled with renewable energy and
CCUS/Power-to-X technologies is a nearer term opportunity
• Blue Hydrogen coupled with CCUS will be needed for heat
and power
1. The most significant near-term opportunity for decarbonisation with technologies closer to deployment is in converting wastes to fuels
and chemical building blocks e.g. ethylene, propylene and aromatics, especially in the areas of:
• Mixed Waste plastics
• Used Cooking Oil (UCO) to Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO)
Source: Innovate UK KTN and Enabled Future Ltd, UK Net Zero carbon reduction in the areas of catalysis innovation, Enabled Future Limited, Dr M Lynch, Sept 2020

19. Circular Carbon - Unlocking the UK sustainable chemical industry
Low-cost and low carbon energy and hydrogen
• Critical to commercialise sustainable fuels and chemicals
Feedstock is fundamental
• Robust processes to mitigate fluctuations in feedstock quality, availability, variability, volume &
contaminants
“Wider” Systems approach to innovation
• Local opportunities & need, feedstock, energy supply, product, market requirements as part of
a wider system
• Integrated, multi-disciplinary collaboration for the design and engineering of new products and
processes
New end-to-end supply chains
• New partnerships across the value chain
• Demonstrate the techno-economic viability of producing chemicals from alternative feedstocks
Policy
• Creating the market opportunities to incentivise the production
of sustainable chemicals
H2
Future
Shaping
Source: Innovate UK KTN, 2021

20. Connecting for
Positive Change.
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Thank You
Innovate UK KTN
enquires@ktn-uk.org