CIRCARB Project Secures £6M for Fossil Fuel Replacement in UK Industries
The £6 million CIRCARB program aims to replace fossil-derived carbon in key sectors like chemicals, construction, and plastics, addressing significant industrial emissions. This four-year initiative is crucial for transitioning towards a sustainable industrial economy in the UK.
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The CIRCARB (Circular and Biogenic Carbon Pathways for a Sustainable Future) project, funded by £6 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will run from September 2026 for four years. It involves Loughborough University, Aston University, the University of Edinburgh, and over 26 industry partners, focusing on reducing fossil fuel dependency in chemicals, construction materials, and plastics.
Experts at Loughborough will lead the chemical sector theme, developing Digital Carbon Passports to optimize carbon management throughout material lifecycles. The UK chemicals industry, valued at £30 billion, currently relies on fossil feedstocks for 90% of its carbon.
CIRCARB aims to develop catalytic pathways for converting biomass and captured CO₂ into essential chemicals like olefins and methanol. In construction, it will explore carbon-negative aggregates from farm waste, while the plastics sector will utilize microbes to create biodegradable bioplastics. Collectively, these sectors support nearly three million jobs and generate over £90 billion in economic value, highlighting the project’s significance in achieving net-zero goals.
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