PROMETHEUS

Introduction

Steam cracking plays a foundational role in our society, enabling the large-scale production of ethylene and propylene, essential building blocks for a wide range of high-performance polymers. The process also has the potential to contribute to sustainable feedstock valorisation by using bio-based inputs and advanced recycling streams such as pyrolysis oils. However, due to its extreme temperature requirements, continuous operation demands, and vulnerability to coke formation, it remains one of the most challenging industrial processes to electrify. PROMETHEUS will rethink the fundamentals of steam cracking and, more generally, heat generation in industrial processes by introducing a next-generation electrified reactor concept that abandons traditional furnace constraints in favour of a compact, electrified, High-Mach shock-wave and internally heated design. This revolutionary concept will raise gas temperature to over 1000°C in milliseconds, thereby increasing the light olefin yields and simultaneously suppressing coking rates.

Goal

Within PROMETHEUS, we will develop a 400 kg/h (~300 kWe peak) modular pilot unit to demonstrate how these supersonic turboreactors can amplify process efficiency and yields while operating under real-time power fluctuations to maximise renewable energy support, empowering cost savings and contributing to overall CO₂ emissions reduction. By combining CFD-driven design, targeted experimental validation, and in-depth TEA and LCA, we will address the challenges of scaling turboreactors and outline operating procedures, paving the way for fully renewable, carbon-neutral plants and inspiring a new era of sustainable & circular (chemical) manufacturing.

Approach

PROMETHEUS removes the main barrier to industrial uptake of High-Mach cracking, the lack of validated, scalable evidence, by demonstrating the technology at pilot scale under realistic conditions. A containerised High-Mach reactor will be designed, built, and operated at industrial sites, enabling direct validation at TRL5. Core performance will be demonstrated through stable Mach > 1 operation, ultra-fast heating, >95% energy efficiency, and improved light-olefin yields compared to conventional cracking. Validated CFD models and scalable control strategies will translate pilot results into credible commercial reactor designs (>1 MWth). High-fidelity operational data will drive techno-economic and life-cycle assessments, enabling informed decisions on scale-up and retrofit. The project concludes with at least three use cases.

Expected impact and valorization

In Flanders, full-scale deployment of PROMETHEUS across all steam crackers in the Port of Antwerp could eliminate up to 2.6 million tons of CO₂ annually, representing approximately 25% of the region’s total chemical sector emissions. At the European and global levels, the technology aligns with REPowerEU and EU ETS objectives, offering a clear pathway for replication in major industrial hubs such as the United States, the Middle East, and Asia.