Global Impact Coalition spin-off aims to accelerate Europe’s path to low-carbon chemicals, eSAF

The Global Impact Coalition, a CEO-led coalition committed to advancing a circular, net-zero future for the chemical value chain, announced Sept. 3 the launch of a dedicated spin-off structure to advance its sustainable-olefins project.

Starting with a feasibility study, this marks the first step toward exploring a new methanol-based route to electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) and low-carbon chemicals in Europe.

A group of GIC member companies have joined forces to evaluate the technical and economic potential of using methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology as a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-based production processes.

The group will assess the viability of converting sustainable methanol into olefins, the essential building blocks of fuels and advanced materials.

The newly formed spin-off structure is designed to facilitate deeper collaboration, explore investment and prepare the groundwork for potential project development.

“Transforming how we produce essential building blocks like olefins is key to reducing emissions in the chemical sector and related value chains, such as aviation,” said Charlie Tan, CEO of the Global Impact Coalition.

“The announcement today signals the growing momentum toward transforming the global chemical sector at a time when new technologies are urgently needed to meet climate and business goals,” Tan added.

By converting sustainable methanol into sustainable olefins, the MTO approach offers a scalable, electrifiable alternative to conventional steam cracking.

Sustainable olefins are essential to manufacturing low-carbon polymers and materials used in packaging, mobility, consumer goods and industrial applications.

Utilizing eMethanol, the MTO process enables the production of eSAF, offering a flexible, scalable pathway to decarbonizing one of the hardest-to-abate sectors: aviation.

As demand for low-emission feedstocks rises and regulatory drivers—such as recycled-content requirements, sustainable-material mandates and SAF targets—increase, the market for sustainable olefins is poised for rapid growth, GIC stated.

“With the global green methanol market expected to triple by 2030, this spin-off is well positioned to benefit from the rise of sustainable methanol,” the coalition said.