Europe's future chem industry

The European Chemical Industry (Cefic) launched last week its latest sustainability vision project, the F3 Factory, under the EU Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem).

Cefic and its partner EuropaBio created the multi-stakeholder SusChem in 2004, which aims to boost innovation in chemistry geared towards sustainability.

The EU-funded F3 Factory will allow faster, more efficient and more flexible production, using techniques such as process intensification (PI) to design the chemical factory of the future, said SusChem.

SusChem Chairman Rodney Townsend said "We welcome the launch of the F3 Factory - another example of the SusChem approach - and thank the companies and the EU for their support. If the F3 production model were extended on a broader scale, massive savings in cost and energy could be made - almost 4 billion euro according to the consortium".

The project is scheduled to run for four years estimated at EUR30m, EUR18m of which will be provided by the EU government through its 7th Framework Programme (FP7). A demo plant and development center will be constructed in Chempark Leverkusen, Germany, which is scheduled to begin in late 2009/early 2010, and be completed by 2011.

According to the consortium, the European Chemical industry could reduce costs by about EUR 3.75 billion ($5.19 billion) just by switching existing production facilities over to the F3 Factory concept.

Some of the chemical companies included in the consortium include Arkema, AstraZeneca, BASF, Bayer Technology Services, Evonik Degussa, Rhodia, and Procter & Gamble.