German chemical maker swops oil for sugar in green push

Pilot project a small step in sector’s battle to cut carbon emissions, but experts sceptical

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LEVERKUSEN, Germany - At one of Europe's largest chemical complexes, German group Covestro is trialling the manufacture of a key product using sugar as a base material instead of oil, as the industry seeks to lower its carbon footprint.

The pilot project involves producing aniline - a chemical used in making foams used widely in mattresses and armchairs, as well as building insulation.

While large-scale, with commercial production probably years away, the experiment marks a small step in the chemical industry's battle to slash carbon emissions as the earth faces a dire climate emergency.

Of the 100 million barrels of oil produced worldwide every day, "a quarter goes directly into the chemical industry", said Dr Walter Leitner from Aachen University, which has been involved in the aniline project for a decade.

"The chemical industry needs to be completely rebuilt." Plastics manufacturer Covestro a former division of chemical giant Bayer started trials at its complex in the western city of Leverkusen at the end of 2023, after laboratory tests. In a 100 sq m room, aniline, a transparent fluid, is extracted from a 600m network of intertwined pipes.