Petrochemicals ― Two of the Big Four
Discussion to do with reducing greenhouse gas emissions usually focus on two if the items that we see in our personal lives: solar panels and electric vehicles (EVs). Although both of these are important, the real emissions come from four big sources:
Steel 11%
Cement 6%
Urea/Nitrrates 20%
Chemicals/OilProduction 5%
(These numbers are very approximate, but they provide a basis for discussion.)
All four of the above industries are utterly vital to our modern civilization.
Steel is used in the construction of all our equipment and tools ― including the wind turbines and solar panels that are needed for the transition away from greenhouse gases.
Cement/concrete is in almost all construction projects. Once more, it is needed in the construction and maintenance of turbines and panels.
Urea and nitrates are used in artificial fertilizers. Without this chemical billions of people would starve.
Chemicals and petrochemicals are used to make plastics and the thousands of products that we need for a good life, including the medications that cure us when we are ill.
If we are serious about reducing emissions, we have to take a long, hard look at these four industries. For this reason, I was interested to see two articles published this week.
Petrochemical Feedstock
The first article is from Hydrocarbon Processing. It says that a consortium of three companies hase started ‘the world’s first large-scale electrically heated steam cracking furnace’. The following is from that article,
BASF, SABIC, and Linde have inaugurated the world’s first demonstration plant for large-scale electrically heated steam cracking furnaces.
<emphasis mine>
Oil Production
The second article ― this one from the Journal of Petroleum Technology ― has the title ‘Diamondback Energy Eyes Green Fast Fission Technology To Power Permian Operations’. The first paragraph of the article reads,
The Permian Basin’s largest independent oil producer, Diamondback Energy, has signed a nonbinding letter of intent (LOI) to develop a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with fast fission power technology company Oklo Inc.
<emphasis mine>
The idea of using recycled uranium to generate emissions-free energy is intriguing, although it does open up the usual concerns to do with the use of nuclear power.
Just a Start
It is encouraging to see that these companies are taking steps to reduce emissions from one of the Big Four. But, the devil resides in his usual location. Having a demonstration plant or signing a Letter of Intent for a technology that is still being developed is a long way from achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions for an entire industry just 26 years from now.
