The UK chemicals sector generates an annual turnover of around £45–50 billion, supports over 150,000 direct jobs and many more in the supply chain, and contributes approximately £30 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy (ONS; UK Chemistry Council). Chemicals are an essential foundation of the UK’s industrial base, enabling a wide range of manufacturing sectors and critical supply chains.
Globally, demand for chemicals continues to accelerate. Global chemical sales reached around $5 trillion in 2022 and are expected to grow significantly, with some forecasts suggesting the market could approach $8–10 trillion by 2030. The chemical and petrochemical sector is the largest industrial consumer of energy worldwide, accounting for around 10% of final industrial energy demand. Uniquely, around 50–60% of the sector’s total energy input is used as feedstock, rather than fuel. Primarily fossil-based carbon used to produce plastics, fertilizers, and other essential products. Without a transition to alternative feedstocks, the sector is projected to become the largest source of global oil demand by 2030.
Great British Chemicals will ensure a sustainable resource flow of feedstocks is appropriately integrated into a future equitable and profitable chemicals value chain through holistic multi-disciplinary research that addresses the complexity of the challenge and the diversity of Stakeholders. The hub will de-risk any future national level chemical industry strategy by providing evidence for the viability of net zero chemical technologies and the delivery roadmap.
Our National Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Industrial Futures will achieve this through a fundamental shift in innovation culture, re-setting relationships in the chemicals and chemicals-using sectors to increase collaboration and inward investment.
