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On Monday 28th June, a kick-off meeting for a project involving NEPIC, Teesside University, University of Hull, CPI, Croda, Ensus, SCI, TVCA and Unilever, was held at the National Horizons Centre in Darlington.

The aim of the project is to build the business case to re-shore and decarbonise the ethylene oxide supply chain. Ethylene oxide is a crucial platform chemical for the process industry and is used to manufacture a multitude of different sectors including plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and among others. As ethylene oxide is extremely hazardous to transport, most of the downstream industry disappeared in the UK when Dow Chemical ceased production at their Wilton plant in 2010.

The project will build the business case to re-shore industry, bringing jobs and economic growth to the region. Furthermore, this project will assist the UK in meeting its Net Zero targets as the aim is to utilise renewable low-carbon feedstocks, such as bioethanol, rather than traditional petrochemical feedstocks.

At this engaging project meeting, project partners discussed how the business case can be most effectively built to ensure the UK can take advantage of this exciting and high potential opportunity.

The initial project work will be carried out by Teesside University and the University of Hull, with support from NEPIC and other project partners before the project and its scope is expanded in the future.

To find out more about the project, please contact chris.holt@nepic.co.uk