Page 178 - CW E-Magazine (20-8-2024)

Special Report Special Report

On the other side of the Atlantic
A journey towards sustainability via circularity and Ocean, effi ciency improvements and ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Paige Marie Morse is Senior Sustainability Director,
molecules innovation have been crucial for the Aspen Technology, Inc. She helps companies progress toward
competitiveness of European indus-
o frame the greater scheme of regions of the world, this sector is the DR. PAIGE MARIE MORSE tries. The region has taken a proac- their sustainability targets providing strategic guidance and
targeted digitalisation solutions to the process industry. Prior
things, Bill Gates summed up largest energy consumer in the indus- tive role in developing environmental
Tthe energy transition in three trial space. Senior Sustainability Director restrictions and guidelines on specifi c to AspenTech, she worked for leading operating companies,
including Shell, Dow and Clariant, in R&D, marketing, com-
Aspen Technology, Inc.
steps: “First, avoiding a climate E-mail: paige.morse@aspentech.com technologies. As a result, local compa- mercial and strategy roles in the US and Europe. Ms. Paige
disaster would be the hardest challenge The circular economy approach nies are pushing for more support for holds a BA from Kenyon College and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University
people had ever faced. Second, the only demands a complete rethinking of current major challenges as a raw material. Digital investment and development through of Illinois.
way to do it was to invest aggressively operations and logistics, connecting technology is mission-critical in help- the Antwerp Declaration. It is also neces-
in clean-energy innovation and deploy- disparate value chains to enable effi - ing innovators develop new processes sary to consider the voice of the con- right technologies to level the playing of direction and guardrails in this
ment. And third, we needed to get ciencies and material recovery. This is a to convert CO to useful products, such sumer, more so than the US and other fi eld. However, Asia has a very diverse energy transition could result in sporadic
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going.” fundamentally challenging task for the as methanol, which is a very important parts of the world. landscape and developing countries can outcomes for companies and industries
industry, as it requires a major mindset starting material for the chemical leapfrog in innovation rapidly. Coun- across the region.
In the next two decades, sustain- shift. industry. In Asia Pacifi c, however, things are tries and governments should consider
ability will take centerstage as indus- vastly different, as the region is expe- this benefi cial aspect in encouraging In summary, while the energy tran-
tries like energy, chemicals and utilities Traditionally, companies operated Previously, petrochemicals were riencing substantial growth. Lifestyle the use of technology, even as local sition is still in early stages, its speed
adjust their strategies to succeed amidst in specifi c silos. However, a circular used to produce methanol, but the changes are required in the name of sus- dynamics differ significantly from is accelerating, albeit unevenly across
the energy transition. The impacts of economy will require industry to stop abundance of CO makes it an excellent tainability and the rise of mega middle country to country. the various regions and countries in
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climate change are now top of mind seeing waste as something to dispose raw material for industry and embo- classes in nations like India, China and the world. Going forward, the right
as lives and livelihoods are uprooted, of, but as raw materials that can be uti- dies what the circular economy is about. Indonesia (in Southeast Asia) will drive Unlike Europe, however, Asia has deployment of molecules in the circular
and the world demands that industry lized in another value chain. Using CO as feedstock, however, isn’t consumer demand. In those regions, little restrictions and requirements on economy is mission-critical in this race
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responds. enough. It is also critical to think about it is even more crucial to deploy the its industrial sector. The general lack towards net-zero.
In other words, turning waste into how to constantly reuse the same mole-
The industrial space is well-posi- feedstock. In this regard, AspenTech cules multiple times to eliminate waste.
tioned to capitalize on co-innovation focuses on helping customers make Chemical Weekly Buyers’ Guide
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178 Chemical Weekly August 20, 2024 Chemical Weekly August 20, 2024 179

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