(74b) Strategies to Decarbonize Top 5 Industrial Chemicals and Its Implication on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The industrial sector is a key enabler for producing the chemicals that are intermediates to most commercial and household products used worldwide. Growing energy trends, increasing population, and global economic growth have led to supply chain imbalances that could potentially lead to increased uncertainty and future investment decisions. The petrochemical industry in U.S. is expected to increase in the next 5 years and to drive the production of building block chemicals. With the increasing energy demand and use of end products, the chemical industry has become increasingly vigilant about using alternative non-fossil feedstocks to meet supply chain demand. The production of chemicals from alternative sources like organic waste, carbon dioxide (CO2), plastics, and biomass offers a promising opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve the overall economic and environmental sustainability of the production process.

While previous studies have assessed a broad range of chemicals and their production from alternative feedstock sources to increase the deployment and scale-up the production of these chemicals, none of them provided recommendations on the prospective energy and carbon reductions that could result from the implementation of these alternate strategies. This knowledge gap on strategies to decarbonize the petrochemical industry and quantifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to fossil-based routes can help lay out strategies to minimize carbon emissions and enhancing energy efficiency for industrial sector.

Our selection process considers market data, economics, strategies, and carbon and energy intensity to determine the top 5 chemicals (ethanol, propylene, benzene, toluene, and xylene). We also perform a comprehensive analysis to enable decision-making and help the industrial sector by providing strategies to decarbonize the chemical sector and align it with its sustainability goals, offering energy savings and reducing overall carbon footprints. Furthermore, we evaluate and compare the GHG emissions of alternative supply chain strategies in relation to traditional fossil-based methods. This analysis helps us understand the potential reduction in GHG emissions that can be achieved to meet the BETO target of cutting carbon emissions by 100 million metric tons (MMT) per year.

The results of our study indicate that it is possible to reduce carbon emissions in the chemical sector by employing alternative feedstocks and implementing a range of strategies. By considering factors such as feedstock availability and production capacity, an optimal solution can be achieved to meet the overall goal of reducing GHG emissions by 100 MMT/yr. The largest reduction in GHG emissions on a mass basis is associated with two processes: ethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass via fermentation process and benzene-toluene-xylene mixture from wood chips via pyrolysis process. Due to the significant production capacities in the US, the two alternative processes result in a 91 MMT/yr reduction in GHG emissions compared to the baseline.

Recommendations for incorporating sustainable feedstock can be informed by analyzing biomass production routes, taking into account market dynamics, demand trends, regulations, and consumer preferences, to ensure commercial viability and relevance of proposed pathways. Quantifying energy and carbon savings allows for the demonstration of the tangible benefits of embracing more sustainable production practices.