Capgemini & VoltaChem: Harnessing the Power of Renewables
The energy and chemicals sectors are closely intertwined and their relationship impacts both industries and global efforts to combat climate change.
The chemical industry is one of the largest industrial energy consumers, accounting for 22% of energy consumption in the European Union.
Approximately 95% of chemical industry feedstocks come from fossil fuels and more than half of energy inputs to the sector are consumed as feedstock or raw materials.
Capgemini has joined the VoltaChem business community as an implementation partner with a key focus on the production of hydrogen from renewable energy.
Cyril Garcia, Group Executive Board Member and Head of Global Sustainability Services and Corporate Responsibility at Capgemini, says: “Hydrogen is vital for sectors like steel and shipping, but high costs remain a barrier.
“We’re committed to driving sustainability through innovation, investment and partnerships.”
Meet VoltaChem
VoltaChem describes itself as a “business-driven Shared Innovation Programme” connecting the electricity sector to the chemical industry.
It aims to develop and implement new technologies that focus on using renewable energy to produce hydrogen, chemicals and fuels.
VoltaChem’s Business and Programme Director is Martijn de Graaff, Business Director of Industrial Transformation and Power-2-X at TNO.
Founded in 2014 by applied knowledge institutes TNO and ECN, now part of TNO, VoltaChem is headquartered in the Netherlands.
TNO is an independent research organisation that aims to connect people and knowledge to boost the competitive strength of industry and the well-being of society sustainably.
About Capgemini
Founded in 1967, Capgemini is a prominent global consulting and IT services firm headquartered in Paris, France.
It offers a range of services including engineering and a quantum computing lab.
The firm has revenue of more than US$23m in 2023 and employs more than 340,000 team members.
Capgemini’s Chief Executive Officer is Aiman Ezzat, previously supporting the company as both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
Why focus on hydrogen from renewable energy?
Hydrogen produces zero emissions during use as a fuel, emitting only water vapour.
When produced using renewable energy, this eliminates greenhouse gas emissions, unlike traditional hydrogen production using fossil fuels.
The green hydrogen industry is expected to grow substantially, potentially accounting for up to 20% of the European energy mix by 2050.
By 2030, the cost of green hydrogen is expected to decrease by 40%, making it a visible competitor to fossil fuels.
Green hydrogen can be used both as an energy carrier and raw material in a variety of industrial processes including ammonia production, methanol production, hydrogenation of oils and fats and direct reduction of iron in steelmaking.
"While it's still in the early stages, I believe that hydrogen has the potential to be one of the most mature renewable technologies, capable of accelerating our transition towards sustainable energy," Ann Rosenberg, Co-Founder of the SDG Ambition at United Nations Global Compact told Capgemini.
Capgemini’s collaboration with VoltaChem aims to focus on hydrogen as part of developing and implementing Power-2-X technologies.
These are technologies that can convert renewable electricity from sources, such as solar, wind or water, into an energy carrier.
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