Incremental Electrification Drives Sustainability
For decarbonization of chemical processing sites, electrification opens a new world of efficiencies and cost benefitsThe industrial sector is responsible for one-third of the world’s end-use energy consumption, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA; Washington, D.C.; www.eia.gov) [1]. Within that sector, the manufacturing industry emits 20% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions [2]. Optimizing industry energy use will be a pivotal component of global strategies to limit greenhouse gas emissions and reach climate-saving goals.
The chemical industry is the second-largest consumer of energy within manufacturing sectors, according to EIA [3]. Chemical processing plants use natural gas and other energy sources to convert raw materials into a variety of products. Electrifying chemical engineering processes can be a cornerstone of emissions-reductions initiatives moving forward.
Electrification has the potential to significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve the sustainability of chemical manufacturing by replacing fossil-fuel-based processes with electricity generated by renewable sources — an obvious benefit for the environment (Figure 1). But the use of renewable electricity sources can also reduce the volatility and uncertainty associated with fossil-fuel prices, making the production of chemicals more predictable and cost-effective.References
- U.S. EIA, Use of Energy Explained, June 2022; www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/.
- The World Bank Group, World Development Indicators: Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Sector, 2017; //data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC.
- U.S. EIA, Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey, Chemical Industry Analysis Brief, 2020; //www.eia.gov/consumption/manufacturing/briefs/chemical/.
- Roelofsen, O., Somers, K., Speelman, E. and Witteveen, M., Plugging In: What Electrification Can Do For Industry, McKinsey & Co., May 2020.
- Chetty, S., Finol, R., Process Electrification and Application of Net-Zero Power Hub Solution, PCIC Energy Conference, Nov. 2022.
- Van Geem, K., How to Reduce CO2 Emissions of Steam Cracking Furnaces: The Million Dollar Question, AIChE Academy, April 2021.
- BASF press release, BASF, SABIC and Linde start construction of the world’s first demonstration plant for large-scale electrically heated steam cracker furnaces, Sept. 2022.
- Cleary, K., Electrification 101, Resources for the Future, March 2022.
- Mallapragada, D., and others, Decarbonization of the Chemical Industry through Electrification: Barriers and Opportunities, Joule, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Jan. 2023.
- International Energy Agency (IEA), Global CO2 emissions reductions in heavy industry by technology maturity level in the Sustainable Development Scenario relative to the Stated Policies Scenario, 2070, Oct. 2022.