Holoss - Project REACT

Project: REACT - Renewable Electrochemical Advanced Conversion of CO2 to Target products

Start: 01/05/2026 End: 30/04/2030

Project website: https://www.react-horizon.eu/

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme under Grant Agreement No. 101269395.

DESCRIPTION: Ethylene is one of the world’s most important organic compounds and a key building block for the chemical industry, particularly for the production of polyethylene and other high-value materials. Today, more than 95% of global ethylene production relies on the steam cracking of fossil hydrocarbons, a highly energy-intensive process responsible for a significant share of the chemical industry’s CO2 emissions. REACT addresses this challenge by developing an innovative electrochemical pathway capable of converting industrial CO2 streams directly into valuable ethylene products using renewable energy. The project focuses particularly on lower-purity CO2 streams from hard-to-abate industries, reducing the need for costly pre-treatment and improving the overall efficiency and economic feasibility of carbon utilisation.

REACT will develop an impurity-tolerant tandem electrochemical process capable of transforming industrial CO2 into an ethylene-rich mixture while reducing capital requirements, energy consumption and environmental impacts. The resulting products will be validated in high-value applications including polyethylene packaging, surfactants and automotive polymers. By integrating renewable energy, advanced electrochemical conversion and industrial validation, REACT aims to strengthen the European industrial carbon management value chain, support the substitution of fossil-based feedstocks, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to greater EU energy security and strategic autonomy.

HOLOSS ROLE:

HOLOSS conducts the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the technologies and production processes developed within the REACT project to evaluate their environmental performance, identify environmental hotspots and support the definition of improvement strategies across the value chain.

HOLOSS ensures alignment with the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework by assessing the safety and sustainability of REACT materials, processes and technologies, while supporting the identification of safer and more sustainable alternatives.

HOLOSS evaluates potential End-of-Life (EoL) pathways and develops circularity strategies aimed at improving resource efficiency, reducing environmental impacts and supporting more circular production systems.