Mapping GHG emissions and prospects for renewable energy in the chemical industry

Fredric Bauer; Joachim Peter Tilsted; Stephan Pfister; Christopher Oberschelp; Viktoras Kulionis

doi:10.1016/j.coche.2022.100881

Mapping GHG emissions and prospects for renewable energy in the chemical industry

Fredric Bauer, Joachim Peter Tilsted, Stephan Pfister, Christopher Oberschelp, Viktoras Kulionis

ETH Zürich

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Chemicals is the industrial sector with the highest energy demand, using a substantial share of global fossil energy and emitting increasing amounts of greenhouse gasses following rapid growth over the past 25 years. Emissions associated with energy use have increased with growth in coal-dependent regions but are also commonly underestimated in regions with higher shares of renewable energy. Renewable energy is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but remains a niche area when considering corporate targets and initiatives aiming at emission reductions, which instead favour incremental energy efficiency improvements. These findings point to a risk for continued lock-in to fossil energy in the industry.

Original language	English
Article number	100881
Journal	Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering
Volume	39
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coche.2022.100881
Publication status	Published - 2023

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Energy Systems

Free keywords

chemical industry
GHG emissions
Renewable energy
Industrial Tranformation

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.coche.2022.100881Licence: CC BY

1 Doctoral Thesis (compilation)

Transforming a Synthetic World: The Political Economy of Petrochemical Transitions
Tilsted, J. P., 2024 Aug 28, Lund: Department of Technology and Society, Lund University. 214 p.
Research output: Thesis › Doctoral Thesis (compilation)

Open Access
File

2 Finished

The Political Economy of Petrochemical Transitions
Tilsted, J. P. (Research student), Bauer, F. (Assistant supervisor) & Nilsson, L. J. (Supervisor)
2020/09/15 → 2024/09/20
Project: Dissertation
Petrochemicals and Climate Change: Literature Review
Bauer, F. (PI), Kulionis, V. (Researcher), Finkill, G. (Researcher), Pfister, S. (Researcher) & Oberschelp, C. (Researcher)
V. Kann Rasmussen foundation (vkrf)
2020/09/01 → 2022/06/30
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Mapping GHG emissions and prospects for renewable energy in the chemical industry",

abstract = "Chemicals is the industrial sector with the highest energy demand, using a substantial share of global fossil energy and emitting increasing amounts of greenhouse gasses following rapid growth over the past 25 years. Emissions associated with energy use have increased with growth in coal-dependent regions but are also commonly underestimated in regions with higher shares of renewable energy. Renewable energy is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but remains a niche area when considering corporate targets and initiatives aiming at emission reductions, which instead favour incremental energy efficiency improvements. These findings point to a risk for continued lock-in to fossil energy in the industry.",

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language = "English",

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journal = "Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering",

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T1 - Mapping GHG emissions and prospects for renewable energy in the chemical industry

AU - Bauer, Fredric

AU - Tilsted, Joachim Peter

AU - Pfister, Stephan

AU - Oberschelp, Christopher

AU - Kulionis, Viktoras

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Chemicals is the industrial sector with the highest energy demand, using a substantial share of global fossil energy and emitting increasing amounts of greenhouse gasses following rapid growth over the past 25 years. Emissions associated with energy use have increased with growth in coal-dependent regions but are also commonly underestimated in regions with higher shares of renewable energy. Renewable energy is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but remains a niche area when considering corporate targets and initiatives aiming at emission reductions, which instead favour incremental energy efficiency improvements. These findings point to a risk for continued lock-in to fossil energy in the industry.

AB - Chemicals is the industrial sector with the highest energy demand, using a substantial share of global fossil energy and emitting increasing amounts of greenhouse gasses following rapid growth over the past 25 years. Emissions associated with energy use have increased with growth in coal-dependent regions but are also commonly underestimated in regions with higher shares of renewable energy. Renewable energy is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions but remains a niche area when considering corporate targets and initiatives aiming at emission reductions, which instead favour incremental energy efficiency improvements. These findings point to a risk for continued lock-in to fossil energy in the industry.

KW - chemical industry

KW - GHG emissions

KW - Renewable energy

KW - Industrial Tranformation

U2 - 10.1016/j.coche.2022.100881

DO - 10.1016/j.coche.2022.100881

M3 - Article

SN - 2211-3398

VL - 39

JO - Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering

JF - Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering

M1 - 100881

ER -

Mapping GHG emissions and prospects for renewable energy in the chemical industry

Abstract

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Free keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Transforming a Synthetic World: The Political Economy of Petrochemical Transitions

Projects

The Political Economy of Petrochemical Transitions

Petrochemicals and Climate Change: Literature Review

Cite this