Sustainability and Systems Engineering: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Chemical Plants

Despite some carbon dioxide producing chemistries, Most CO2 emissions in the chemical industry result from the combustion of carbonaceous fuels. Reducing the carbon footprint of chemical plants then involves two strategies: reducing process energy requirements, and reducing the carbon emissions associated with whatever energy is required. This presentation will discuss process systems considerations to both reducing energy requirements and reducing carbon emissions highlighting capital cost, operating cost, and fitness-for-use tradeoffs, and operational, controllability, and other impacts that should be anticipated. The presentation will also discuss systems approaches to fuel substitution, use of non-fossil energy, energy system carbon capture and sequestration, and the modeling challenges required to help understand the full impact of alternative courses of action.