Cleantech is ready to scale. It’s time for the ecosystem to catch up.

Few people know the journey from catalysis lab to commercial plant better than Dr. Maurits van Tol. Having worked in catalysis since 1985, the former CEO of Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies has seen first-hand what it takes to move a technology from a lab concept to a licensed, commercial-scale process.

Today, Maurits is a non-executive director at carbon removal company Climeworks and an industry advisor, including to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization on the hydrogen economy.

On September 22, Maurits opened Malvern Panalytical’s Future Days: Catalysts program with his session: ‘Partnerships and networks: key to a society emitting less carbon.’ The virtual event brought together leaders from across catalyst manufacturing, academic research, standards organizations, and analytical science to define the next decade of catalysis.

In Maurits’ session, he explained why proven clean technology still isn’t reaching the market fast enough – and what it will take to change that.

Here’s a recap of his insights. Catch up on the full session and more from Future Days: Catalysts.

The technology is ready. Deployment is the bottleneck.

Fossil resources are finite, demand keeps rising, and the world’s population is set to grow by another 2 billion people over the next 50 years. The world needs cleaner ways to manufacture fuel and chemicals, without taking society backward. Maurits’ answer was that we need to innovate our way out.

Many forms of clean technology already exist. Routes such as activating CO₂ with hydrogen are ready for large-scale deployment and available from licensors. The barriers are cost and risk. A first-of-a-kind plant at industrial scale can cost USD 1–5 billion, and without proven economics, lenders hesitate to commit.

Bankable projects need a whole ecosystem

Deployment is about establishing new ecosystems. For a new technology to thrive at a large scale and to keep the cost contained, multiple players need to de-risk the endeavor.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a good example. The developer gets a performance warranty from the technology licensor, and an engineering partner turns the project into a turnkey deal. Feedstock suppliers commit to long-term supply, and airlines sign offtake agreements.

Combined, these commitments make the project bankable. But businesses can’t do it alone. Governments control permitting, and when permits take too long, countries fall behind. Regulators, meanwhile, can speed things up by harmonizing standards for pipes, pressures, and connectors, so supply chains scale faster and cost less.

The next generation of catalysts is being designed at the atomic level

Innovation doesn’t stop at deployment. High-throughput experimentation, AI, and quantum computing are all transforming catalyst design. Quantum computing makes it easier to model the multi-body interactions between a catalyst and its support. The value lies in turning those models into physical catalysts and scaling them.

Advanced analytical techniques are a key focus of the partnerships advancing catalysis R&D. For catalyst developers and manufacturers, that makes reliable characterization data essential, from early material design through scale-up and quality control.

Maurits also highlighted a shift in priorities: clean tech is no longer only about net zero. Energy independence now ranks high on government agendas, and catalysis can turn each country’s own resources, from biomass to captured CO₂, into the molecules it needs.

Key questions from the Q&A

What makes an ecosystem different from a long list of partners?

A long list of partners is like a complex business deal. An ecosystem also includes governments, infrastructure, and shared international standards. All of these are essential if newcomers are to compete with established technologies that have been optimized for over a century.

What is an offtake agreement?

It’s a long-term commitment to buy a project’s output. Government mandates require more SAF than is currently available, so airlines sign offtake agreements to secure fuel, which helps the industry scale.

Which country is doing the most to support the transition?

China. It sets and executes five-year plans predictably, with permits taking months instead of years. It has the geographic space to deploy solar, wind, hydro, and wave power at scale, and renewable power costs as little as USD 0.015–0.02 per kWh.

What challenges remain for catalysis?

Some metals and other raw materials are finite, as are fossil feedstocks. The industry must expand recycling and design catalysts at the atomic level, achieving maximum effect with minimal metal. Those catalysts must also resist poisoning, where impurities in alternative feedstocks such as biomass block the catalyst and stop it from working.

Watch the recording of this session to find out more about why hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure is lagging behind net-zero needs, and how energy security is reshaping government priorities.