© IEC, TUBAF
Dear participants, dear interested parties,
the NK2 network is transferred to the Institute for Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg. The homepage has moved accordingly and is available here: https://tu-freiberg.de/fakult4/iec/evt/nk2-netzwerk
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us via the new homepage.
Thank you very much!
The German chemical industry requires about 15 million tons of carbon annually to produce goods ranging from plastics, adhesives, lubricants to cosmetics. This demand is largely met by imported crude oil and natural gas. The chemical industry’s carbon demand – unlike sectors such as energy and mobility – cannot be easily replaced by carbon-free substances or technologies.
A circular carbon economy will enable the chemical industry to develop a sustainable basis for its raw material supply. Carbon will remain in the system instead of being released for example as CO2 into the environment which contributes to climate change and global warming. To achieve this, the recycling and recirculation of secondary carbon raw materials are crucial factors. The communication platform for a circular carbon economy (NK2) thus paves the way for such a carbon transition.
»With NK2 we want to establish a platform for information and knowledge exchanges as well as intersectoral and international networking. We are convinced that a circular carbon economy not only offers considerable advantages for climate protection, but also great potential for added value in Germany«, says Prof. Dr. Bernd Meyer, Division Head for Chemical Conversion Processes at the Fraunhofer IMWS and Director of the Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, who is the scientific lead for NK2 activities.
Aim of the NK2 communication plattform is the transition towards a carbon cycle economy. To facilitate this, recycling and recirculation of primary and secondary carbon raw materials are crucial factors as they enable carbon to be retained in the system instead of being released as climate-polluting CO2. The establishment of a circular carbon economy will support a sustainable raw material supply for the chemical industry in cooperation with sectors ranging from energy, waste management, recycling, processing, lightweight construction to renewables.
Key topics and focuses for NK2 are:
The NK2 communication plattform provides a platform for information, knowledge sharing, intersectoral and international networking. Through workshops, trainings and conferences, NK2 participants not only exchange information relating to new developments for efficient, sustainable and economical design for a circular carbon economy, but also for sustainable structural change in Germany’s lignite regions. The focus is on innovative low CO2 emission technologies for the chemical utilization of domestic carbon resources, chemical recycling of waste, integration of renewably generated “green” hydrogen and/ or renewable power as well as the production of carbon-containing value-added products. The NK2 network organizes intersectoral experience exchanges with industry, politics and other key stakeholders (e.g. NGOs, Media, general public). It furthermore integrates the diversity of Fraunhofer research expertise and spans the entire innovation chain from basic research to large-scale industrial application.
Fraunhofer IMWS