Decarbonizing the chemical industry through digital technologies

Abstract

There are several challenges to decarbonizing the chemical industry as it utilizes significant amounts of fossil fuels as feedstock and as source of energy. As a result, the industry contributes about 5 % to global CO₂ emissions. Various strategies and technologies which include the use of alternative feedstock, electrification, and negative emissions technologies are available to aid in the industry’s decarbonization. These strategies can be implemented at different stages of the chemical production life cycle. The adoption of digital technologies has reported improvements in the economic, environmental, and societal performance of manufacturing industries. This review intends to investigate how available digital technologies can be utilized to accelerate the decarbonization of the chemical industry.