Resources for Defossilized Chemical Production in the United States

Abstract

This paper discusses the benefits and opportunities of producing chemicals using feedstocks and energy carriers that are not fossil fuels—an emission reduction pathway referred to as chemical defossilization. The analysis finds that the U.S. chemical industry has great potential to procure sufficient non-fossil feedstocks to produce bulk chemicals, with some regional advantages. It proposes technologies that could catalyze growth of fossil-free supply chains, estimates volumes of non-fossil feedstocks needed to satisfy demand and maps where feedstocks could be sourced and processed.