Thought Leadership

Paul Baillie, Chief Operating Officer, Sustainable Technology Solutions

Europe stands at a defining moment in its energy journey. Across industry events and engagement, including KBR’s own Technology Conference held in Seville, one message has grown steadily louder – progress in decarbonization has been real but 2026 is shaping up to be a year of pragmatic realism.

Expanding renewables, accelerating electrification and setting ambitious climate targets have been a staple for the last decade, but energy security and affordability have reasserted themselves as priorities. At the same time, regulatory and market expectations around decarbonisation continue to intensify. Europe’s challenge is no longer simply defining the energy transition—it is delivering it at industrial scale.

Success now hinges on developing the systems, technologies and supply chains that can meet both present day demands and long term climate ambitions. This requires an integrated vision: one that spans fuels, feedstocks, infrastructure and circularity, and one that recognises Europe’s unique constraints and opportunities.

The future of energy will be shaped by companies that can deliver what the world needs today; while building the systems it will rely on tomorrow.

At KBR, our solutions are:

• Anchored in technology licensing and engineering across ammonia, refining, petrochemicals, and LNG
• Deliver energy transition solutions for tomorrow – from low-carbon fuels and critical minerals to decarbonization pathways
• Offer true end-to-end capability – from concept and technology selection through engineering, delivery and operational support

Together, these capabilities form the backbone of a resilient, low‑carbon European energy system.

SAF: Decarbonizing What Cannot Be Electrified

Aviation remains one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. Large scale electrification is not technically or economically viable for long haul flight, making Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) the most credible near term pathway toward net zero aviation.
Europe has recognized this through mandates, incentives, and long‑term policy signals. But the real bottleneck is no longer ambition; it is industrial deployment.

• According to the International Air Transport Association’s net-zero roadmaps, approximately 62% of aviation’s emissions reductions by 2050 must come from SAF.

Europe will need scalable, reliable SAF production pathways that minimise risk, compress timelines and provide investor confidence.
KBR’s proven SAF technology combined with our proven global, integrated end to end delivery models links technology, engineering, and project execution. This is pivotal to closing the gap between policy ambition and real world supply - compressing schedules, optimizing capital efficiency, and providing clients and financiers with confidence that projects will move from concept to operation successfully. 

Ammonia, the new cornerstone of Europe’s hydrogen economy

As Europe builds its hydrogen economy, ammonia is emerging as a foundational pillar – serving as a hydrogen carrier, a fuel and a fertilizer.

As a global leader in ammonia technology, we recognize Europe’s vision depends on technologies that can derisk first of a kind projects, support safe integration of emerging innovations and maintain long term asset competitiveness without compromising reliability and safety.

High technology-readiness-level (TRL) ammonia cracking technologies, like our  H2ACT® will play a central role in enabling the continent to access clean hydrogen where and when it is needed.

Critical Minerals and the Circular Economy

Lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare earths are essential for electrification and energy storage. Yet Europe remains highly import-dependent for these minerals. A credible energy strategy must include:

• Supply diversification
• Domestic processing capability, and 
• Responsible and sustainable extraction and recycling

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) and advanced refining approaches offer promising opportunities to reduce dependence on imported processed materials. KBR’s own 40 tons per annum demonstration plant - scaling to a 500 tons per annum commercial facility – and others across industry, are already showing that commercial scale facilities are achievable.

Europe is not just talking about circularity, it is designing and implementing the policies that will set global direction. The EU has put forward one of the most advanced and comprehensive circular economy frameworks in the world, anchored by the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Circular Economy Act expected later this year. These frameworks aim to double Europe’s circular material use rate by 2030 and create a new market for high quality feedstock, giving used plastics, tires, and other materials a level of market certainty unmatched elsewhere.

• Europe is a global leader in extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks, landfill bans and regulatory incentives for tires, which has enabled recovery and recycling rates above 90% in some countries.

KBR makes circularity practical and scalable. We design systems that integrate with existing refineries and petrochemical complexes, turning waste liabilities into value streams and bridge today’s assets with tomorrow’s circular economy.

Modularization and AI: The Delivery Advantage

Construction and delivery constraints can be a risk to the transition. Modularization must therefore be central to Europe’s renewed energy vision, offering a pathway to:

• Reduce construction risk 
• Improve safety and quality
• Accelerate schedules 
• Enable greater repeatability and cost control

Our own experience in modular engineering and construction across energy, chemicals, defense and infrastructure shows this to be true. For policymakers, it means faster deployment of strategic assets. For investors, it means greater certainty. And for communities, it means safer construction outcomes.

At the same time, we are embedding AI which is also beginning to reshape project economics. Whether it’s improving yields, enhancing energy efficiency, or driving cost reductions, these tools deliver measurable results for end users. 

Europe’s Path Forward

Europe’s renewed energy vision must be grounded in both realism and ambition.
The continent can lead globally, but only if it embraces a systems level approach that integrates fuels, infrastructure, circularity, mineral supply chains and advanced delivery models. Industry, including KBR are fully committed to supporting that journey. Bringing:

•    Deep technical expertise across fuels, chemicals, and infrastructure
•    Experience delivering complex projects in regulated environments
•    Systems‑level understanding of how technologies interact
•    And a commitment to safety, sustainability, and long‑term performance

Europe is not short of vision, nor ambition, but the imperative now is execution. The future belongs to those who can deliver energy solutions – at scale, with speed, and with confidence.