C1NET: CHEMICALS FROM C1 GAS

As economies and populations grow, there is an ever increasing demand for chemicals and energy, driven by developing countries, where increasing prosperity is fueling the desire for the improved quality of life visible in the developed world. Current energy and chemical needs are met by the extraction and processing of fossil fuels, in the form of coal, petroleum and natural gas. Such resources are finite, are frequently found in politically unstable regions of the world, and their utilisation is having severe impacts on the climate, both through pollution and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The key challenge facing the global community is, therefore, to maximize the use of sustainable sources of chemicals and of energy to safeguard the environment while ensuring that the latter do not detrimentally impact food supplies. In this regard, renewable sources of energy and chemicals will play an increasing role in the global primary energy supply. Accordingly, the UK government and others have set challenging targets for reductions in GHG in part by aiming to produce chemicals using biological routes.

Traditional strategies adopted for chemical and biofuel generation via biological systems have been reliant on the conversion of the more tractable components of plant biomass (sugars and starch) into chemicals and fuels. The microbes employed ferment the easily accessible sugar and/or starch of plants, such as sugar cane or corn, and convert them into biofuels such as bioethanol. This has led to concerns over competition with use of these products as food, and a re-focussing of efforts on so-called 'second generation' biofuels. These are generated from cell wall material (lignocellulose) derived from non-food crops or agricultural wastes. However, lignocellulose is extremely resistant to being broken down into sugar. Overcoming this recalcitrance in a cost effective manner is proving extremely challenging.

An alternative route would be to directly capture carbon, by harnessing the ability of certain bacteria to 'eat' single carbon gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Thus, for instance, such gases are injected into the liquid medium of fermentation vessels they are consumed by certain bacteria and converted into useful chemicals and fuels. Fortunately, gases such as CO are an abundant resource, and a waste product of industries such as steel manufacturing, oil refining and chemical production. Moreover, it can be readily generated in the form of Synthesis Gas ('Syngas'), by the gasification (heating) of forestry and agricultural residues, municipal waste and coal. By allowing the use of all these available low cost, non-food resources, such a process both overcomes the "Food versus Fuel" issues associated with traditional ethanol production, and circumvents many of the challenges associated with 'second generation' biofuels. Furthermore, capturing the large volume of CO (destined to become CO2 once released into the atmosphere) emitted by industry for fuel and chemical production provides a net reduction in fossil carbon emissions.

There has been a global upsurge of interest both in studying the biology of those organisms able to grow on C1 gases, as well as commercially exploiting them as platforms for chemical manufacture. In this respect the UK lags disappointingly behind the curve. It is the objective of the C1NET to correct this deficiency by encouraging the creation of a vibrant community of UK academics tasked with unravelling the biological, chemical and process engineering aspects of gas fermentation and to steer the translational outputs of these endeavours towards commercial application. The network will provide the 'glue' to bring together a UK-based cadre of biologists, chemists, computational modellers/mathematicians and process engineers to better understand and thence exploit gas fermentation processes for translation into industry.

We will create a vibrant community of UK academics tasked with unravelling the biological, chemical and process engineering aspects of gas fermentation and to steer translational outputs towards commercial application through the following activities:-

SANDPIT EVENTS: organised to meet defied challenges set by C1NET MB, and which are periodically revised. Pump-priming projects aimed at proof of concept will be selected following review.

WORKSHOPS: to provide training for PDRAs and PhD students in key enabling technologies, eg., gene transfer/ manipulation, genome-scale modelling and gas fermentation.

ANNUAL MEETINGS: to showcase the activities of C1NET, inviting selected international experts to inform on the global perspective.

JOINT EXPERIMENTS: on goal specific, strategic objectives will be funded between Network members, to support grant submissions in response to national and international calls.

COMMUNICATION: will be maintained through a website, providing updates and Case Studies on C1NET developments. A quarterly newsletter, and flyers will also be distributed at national and international meetings and by emailing.

OUTREACH: we will promote and educate the wider scientific community, policy makers and society at large, to identify and foster relationships with key stakeholders who can assist in developing and promoting C1NET activities and outputs.

TRAINING: We will support and encourage the participation and development of the PDRAs and students of C1NET members, through presentation at conferences and participation in sandpits, workshops and joint experiments.

All of these aspects have been covered by the amassed Network membership of C1NET. New membership will be encouraged through the network activities (meetings, website, TSB Connect and through the NNFCC and KTNs) and representation at relevant trade meetings. We will also directly approach stakeholder groups and private sectors that we believe should be involved.

Trends in capital investment within the chemicals sector suggests that the bulk and speciality chemicals sectors, both of which have traditionally been strengths of the UK production industry, are following the pharmaceuticals sector to SE Asia. If the UK is to remain competitive across the Bulk and Speciality chemicals sectors we must forge a new generation of processes with intrinsic emphasis on efficiency, process integration and resource management. Developing technology platforms with a reduced dependence on traditional petroleum based materials is acknowledged as the only long-term solution to sustainability.

Looking at the local market rationale for this C1NET proposition, the chemical-using industries continue to be one of the strongest sectors of the UK economy, employing 230,000 highly skilled people, spending £3.5 billion on R&D and the UK's top manufacturing export earner. Its products are the basis for almost every manufacturing activity. However, it is also energy-intensive and almost totally dependent on imported petroleum as its basic raw material. It is vulnerable to rising global oil prices and disruption to global oil supplies. C1NET will strategically de-risk this reliance on petroleum, delivering supply chain security and reducing environmental.

Almost every major chemical company has set ambitious targets to lower their carbon footprint, or even to become carbon neutral. To achieve this there must be re-alignment from fossil fuel dependencies and efficient use of carbon in its simplest forms, specifically of C1 gases that may be generated as by-products from other existing processes (CO, CO2 and CH4).

Specifically C1NET will deliver impact in the following sectors:

ECONOMY: Sustainability is the major issue facing the global chemical industry. Not only is there concern for our environment, there is also is a strong economic driver. Shareholders place emphasis on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (http://www.sustainability-index.com) that tracks the performance of the chemicals industry and engenders competition. A commitment to responsible innovation, and the application of SB as a key platform to products will secure the UK lead in innovation and chemicals production.

PEOPLE: There is a clear and increasing demand for highly qualified technologists that are trained to lead innovation and manage the deployment of SB based techniques into industry. C1NET offers a market driven "shared vision" towards products and processes. It will deliver highly skilled individuals via the joint funding programmes and training that will be well placed to influence and manage the required change to sustainable working practices across chemical manufacturing industries.

SOCIETY: The diverse range of products manufactured by the chemical-using industries is vital to maintaining a high quality of life in the UK, C1NET will have a direct impact on this activity by ensuring a supply of people and new knowledge to secure sustainability of the sector for the benefit of all. The "green and sustainable" agenda is now firmly fixed in the public consciousness, C1NET will be an exemplar of how scientists and engineers can provide real solutions to very challenging scientific and technical problems, for the benefit of society

KNOWLEDGE: In addition to increasing the supply of highly trained people, the results of research performed C1NET will have a major impact on knowledge. C1NET researchers will tackle "big problems" in sustainable chemistry, and via our industrial partners we will ensure that new knowledge is applied in industry. Knowledge based activity will drive innovation and economic activity for UK PLC creating new jobs and securing the future.