LCA4Decarb

LCA4Decarb: Life Cycle and Economic Assessment of Emerging Technologies for Decarbonisation serves as a centre of excellence for sustainability and techno-economic assessment across the decarbonisation pathways funded under the CREATE Thematic Programme in Decarbonisation by Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF). The programme brings together expertise from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), in collaboration with leading research institutions, including the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore (BEARS), the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore (CARES), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Max Planck Society, and Imperial College London.

The primary objective of LCA4Decarb is to assess the environmental sustainability and techno-economic performance of emerging decarbonisation pathways. The project will identify environmental and economic hotspots, optimise processes, and recommend effective mitigation strategies through hybrid process modelling and integrated life cycle and techno-economic assessment. In addition, the project will evaluate the prospective and consequential environmental impacts of these pathways, assess their potential implications at the global level, and examine their future commercialisation potential.

LCA4Decarb comprises following decarbonisation pathways:

• Catalytic conversion of CO₂ into chemicals and fuels
• Conversion of CO₂ into chemicals and fuels through synthetic biology
• Conversion of biomass into functional and feedstock chemicals through catalytic processes

The overall goal of the project is to provide policymakers, and researchers with quantitative evidence on the potential direct and indirect environmental benefits of the three decarbonisation pathways. This includes potential reductions in CO2, water, land and energy as well as assessments of techno-economic performance, commercial feasibility, and supply-chain viability. The results will support informed decision-making, process optimisation, research prioritisation, and the development of strategies for the future scale-up and commercial deployment of emerging decarbonisation technologies.