Emerging Challenges in Catalysis for Sustainable Production of Transport Fuels: an Industrial View

Primary energy demand has grown tremendously over the past century, and despite the recent economic downturn, it is predicted to increase another 37% over the period from 2013-2035¹.  Driven by global population growth and rising standards of living, this rapid increase in demand has driven innovation in the development of new energy supplies and highlighted environmental impacts of energy production & consumption.  In this seminar, we will explore how these broad changes have in turn affected the transportation fuels sector, greatly influencing the price and availability of feedstocks, as well as the desired mix and quality of products.  We will focus on the technological challenges arising for today’s transport fuels industry, and provide commentary on the role of catalysis research to help address them. 

¹ BP Energy Outlook 2035 (2015)