At this year's SEPAWA, Cepsa Química is presenting the world's first linear alkylbenzene (LAB) capable of achieving a carbon footprint reduction of up to -102 % from the origin of the raw material to the manufacture of the product, making it possible to reduce the carbon footprint of the final detergents by up to a third.
Image Credit: Cepsa Química
This new LAB, called NextLab-R Low Carbon, is the result of combining the use of alternative renewable raw materials and the use of renewable energy in part of its production process.
The data are the result of the preliminary comparative carbon footprint assessment carried out by the company with the help of third parties. Thus, the production of the new NextLab-R Low Carbon is ISCC Plus certified, which ratifies the traceability of the renewable raw materials used in its manufacture. AENOR has also verified, using the certification scheme developed jointly with Cepsa Química, the traceability of the use of renewable energies during the production process.
According to the carbon footprint data obtained by the Company on a cradle-to-gate basis, the reduction of the footprint due to the use of renewable raw materials used in the production of the new NextLab-R Low Carbon, in addition to that derived from the use of renewable energies instead of conventional fossil fuels in its production process, would make the new NextLab-R Low Carbon the first LAB on the market with a negative carbon footprint (cradle to gate methodology). This new product will be industrially produced at the Cepsa Química plant in Puente Mayorga (Cádiz) and will be available for the European and Asian markets.
In the words of José María Solana, CEO of Cepsa Química, the launch of NextLab-R Low Carbon “represents a worldwide milestone for the detergency sector. For the first time we have managed to produce LAB with a negative carbon footprint (cradle to gate), in line with Cepsa Química's environmental and decarbonization objectives. These objectives are embodied in our Positive Motion strategy to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable chemical operations that will allow our company to reach net zero by 2050”.
The company has chosen SEPAWA, held from October 16th to 18th in Berlin, for the launch of NextLab-R Low Carbon, as it is one of the most important professional meetings for the detergents, cleaners, cosmetics and fragrances industry in Europe.
Detergents with a Reduced Carbon Footprint
According to recent publications such as the Bott 2023 study, the home care industry may account for around 10 % of the carbon emissions of total chemical and petrochemical emissions. For this reason, reducing the impact in terms of carbon emissions has become a major concern for most companies along the home care value chain.
More than 60 % of biodegradable detergents on the market, both for household and industrial use, use LAB in their formulations. Its properties, processability and compatibility with other ingredients make it a highly effective element in the washing process, both in traditional products (powder or bar detergent) and in more sophisticated products (single-dose capsules or highly concentrated liquid detergents).
NextLab- R Low Carbon maintains the same efficiency and performance as the traditional one and will enable detergent manufacturers to reduce the carbon footprint of their products by up to 30 % without the need for additional reformulation, according to the company's estimates and based on the “cradle-to-gate” principle, thus making a significant contribution to the production of detergents with lower greenhouse gas emissions1
Cepsa Química, Leader in LAB Capacity, Innovation and Sustainability
Cepsa Química is a world leader in LAB manufacturing in production capacity, with nearly 18 % of world production, and thanks to its technological innovation, such as the one carried out in the development of DETAL technology together with UOP, the most efficient and safest in LAB manufacturing.
In 2021, Cepsa Química launched the first sustainable LAB on the market, NextLab-R, manufactured with renewable raw materials and the first of the NextLab family.
The company was also a pioneer in terms of sustainability by decreasing the production plant's emissions during the process thanks to the use of renewable energies instead of conventional fossil fuels and the development of its own certification system to certify and trace the reduction of GHG emissions of scope 1+2 and produce the new product called NextLab-Low Carbon. This innovation was first introduced at the Bécancour (Canada) plant in 2023 for the American market and replicated at the Puente Mayorga (Cadiz) plant in 2024 to meet the needs of its customers in Europe and Asia.