Moeve Chemicals has become the first company to undergo an audit under a new ISCC Carbon Footprint Certification (CFC) framework, using its phenol plant in Palos de la Frontera, Spain, to test the system in an operating chemical facility, the company announced on Oct. 9.

The pilot audit covers phenol, acetone, alpha-methylstyrene and cumene produced at the site. Developed by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) organization, with input from Moeve Chemicals and Meo Carbon Solutions, the framework is intended to provide an independent method for assessing and accounting for product carbon footprints when emissions-reduction methods, such as the use of biomethane, are applied in manufacturing.

Moeve Chemicals contributed technical and industrial experience from its proprietary Low Carbon methodology, which tracks and allocates renewable energy attributes across its manufacturing operations. The approach has been independently verified by AENOR, the Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification.

The new framework builds on existing certification practices for sustainable chemical supply chains. As Chemical Processing explained in its article "Beyond Greenwashing: How to Get Certified Sustainable," ISCC PLUS uses third-party audits and mass-balance accounting to track sustainable feedstocks through complex chemical production systems. The new CFC framework addresses a related but distinct issue: how product carbon-footprint assessments are calculated and verified when manufacturers use specified mitigation methods.

Moeve has also become the first to apply the new ISCC CFC framework to a renewable-feedstock chemical product. The certification supports the product carbon footprint of NextLab R100, a linear alkylbenzene manufactured at the company’s Puente Mayorga site in Spain using ISCC PLUS-certified renewable feedstocks under a mass-balance approach and renewable electricity.

In July, Moeve Chemicals completed AENOR verification across its global manufacturing network, enabling its sites to manufacture and supply products under the company’s low-carbon methodology. The portfolio includes low-carbon alternatives used in detergent production, and a lower-carbon alternative for phenol and its derivatives used in resins, adhesives, automotive and construction applications.

Other chemical producers have also used ISCC PLUS certification to validate feedstock sourcing and mass-balance systems. For example, Arkema received ISCC PLUS certification for its acrylic monomer production sites in France, China and the United States, enabling mass-balance-based supply of bio-attributed monomers across those facilities. BASF and Synthomer have also introduced ISCC PLUS-certified materials, applying mass-balance methods and renewable energy to products for the hygiene market.

Moeve Chemicals said the CFC framework could help move product carbon-footprint accounting beyond individual company methodologies toward a more consistent approach for chemical producers and customers. For manufacturers, independent verification can help substantiate emissions claims; customers can use the resulting information to evaluate the carbon footprints of materials purchased for their own products.