INITIATE Roundtable: Advancing CCU for a Clean and Competitive Industry
On 24 April, INITIATE, in collaboration with CO₂ Value Europe, hosted a roundtable discussion on Advancing Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) in Brussels, Belgium. The event, moderated by Tudy Bernier (CO₂ Value Europe), brought together CCU technology providers and representatives from the heavy industry to explore the role of CCU in achieving a more sustainable and competitive European industry.
The event was opened by Soledad van Eijk, from our project partner TNO, who presented the latest updates on our project and its ambition to drive innovation and collaboration across industrial clusters. She was followed by Franklin Streichenberger, from our project partner CO₂ Value Europe, who introduced the European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal, outlining the policy priorities for the coming years.
The roundtable emphasised the increasingly vital role of CCU technologies in defossilising heavy industries by capturing CO₂ emissions and transforming them into valuable products such as chemicals, synthetic fuels, and construction materials.
Participants exchanged views on how to support the deployment and scale-up of CCU technologies while reinforcing the competitiveness and resilience of European industry.
KEY MESSAGES THAT EMERGED FROM THE DISCUSSION INCLUDE:
- Build on reuse precedents: CCU technologies such as INITIATE’s rely on synergies and collaboration between industries. Comparable models of industrial cooperation already exist—whether in recycling, slag reuse, or recovery of waste heat. Regulation for CCU should draw on these established successes, while also learning from the challenges faced by other collaborative approaches developed over recent years.
- Don’t overlook operational expenditure (OPEX): Funding and risk mitigation discussions often centre around capital expenditure (CAPEX), which is, of course, crucial. However, CCU projects can also involve significant OPEX, particularly during the scale-up phase. The EU regulatory framework should therefore support not only the investment in equipment, but also the operational phase—until full-scale production is achieved.
- Carrots work better than sticks: The EU has a strong track record in setting standards, thresholds, criteria, and penalties—which are effective tools. However, particularly in the case of CCU chemicals, we need more positive incentives to encourage companies to invest in these technologies. Rewarding the shift away from fossil-based feedstocks is essential for meaningful uptake.
- Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach for chemicals: The chemical sector is highly diverse, with a wide range of applications and products. EU regulation must reflect this complexity by designing targeted incentives for different product categories. Sustainable urea production, for instance, should benefit from tailored support, as should CCU-based ethylene, polymers, and methanol.
- Promote synergies, don’t hinder them: EU legislation often treats sectors in isolation, each with its own rules, targets, and incentives. INITIATE highlights the need for cross-sectoral collaboration—where emissions from one industry can become the feedstock for another. Regulatory frameworks should actively encourage such synergies, rather than inadvertently discouraging them.
We thank all speakers and participants for a lively and constructive exchange and look forward to continuing the conversation on how CCU and industrial symbiosis can contribute to Europe’s more sustainable industrial future.