Does the clean energy transition need forever chemicals?
As nations globally move to ban forever chemicals, should renewable energy technologies be exempt for the sake of saving the climate?
The clean energy transition is increasingly reliant on man-made substances known as forever chemicals, also called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These synthetic chemicals, which include thousands of individual compounds, persist in the environment for thousands of years, posing potential health risks such as cancer, immune suppression, fertility issues, and developmental delays in children.
Bans on specific toxic PFAS sources have been enacted in France, New Zealand, and Denmark, while the European Union is considering a broader ban on thousands of forever chemicals. Fluoropolymers, present in various green technologies like lithium-ion batteries and solar panels, are among the substances targeted for prohibition.
The chemical industry has opposed the proposed EU ban, arguing that PFAS are essential for climate change mitigation efforts. The Performance Fluoropolymer Partnership (PFP), an alliance of leading chemical companies, asserts that banning PFAS would hinder climate and energy goals by making the transition more expensive or potentially impossible.
Members of the PFP include 3M and Chemours, companies involved in PFAS-related environmental contamination cases. The European Environment Agency maintains that fluoropolymers are less problematic than PFAS monomers due to their larger molecular size and lower toxicity.
However, permanent degradation of fluoropolymers during their life cycle and exposure to environmental stressors lead to the release of PFAS into the environment and living organisms. Gretchen Salter of Safer States, an environmental advocacy organization, emphasizes that the health risks associated with PFAS make it impossible to claim they do not pose a threat.
The petrochemical industry, which accounts for 30% of global industrial energy demand and 18% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions, is crucial to the clean energy transition. PFAS are used in various clean-tech applications, including heat pumps and electric car batteries, but alternatives exist, such as propane as a synthetic coolant and PFAS-free solar cells.
Despite these alternatives, concerns remain about the availability and effectiveness of PFAS-free substitutes in critical applications.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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