Industry 4.0 & Fuels and Petrochemicals Division Joint Plenary

Join us for the joint plenary hosted by AIChE's Fuels & Petrochemicals Division and the Industry 4.0 topical conference which will feature key speakers discussing the current transformation of the chemical industry.

Schedule

Abstracts

Transitioning Toward Net Zero Refining

Today’s refineries contribute to Scope 1, 2 and 3 CO₂ emissions because of the fossil crude oil and natural gas they process into gasoline and diesel fuels. Decarbonization of industry and transportation has begun and is expected to continue for the next decades. Neither biofuels (bio-based products) or e-Fuels (based on renewable power) will be cost competitive versus fossil transportation fuels. Both will need subsidies and/or mandates to be commercially viable as did ethanol for road transportation a generation ago. Biofuels and eFuels are being driven by the aviation industry’s need for net zero solutions for transoceanic flight, as renewable power and hydrogen are not viable options there. For this reason future refinery configurations will be geared toward jet fuel production, and will be employing new and competing technologies for sustainable aviation fuel.

The Role of AI in Decarbonization for Heavy-Industry Players

Decarbonization is a CEO-level topic for most heavy industrial players. Both external and internal forces are setting the drumbeat to reduce GHG emissions. It is a daunting task that challenging economics behind currently available technologies make only more complicated. The majority of technical solutions that will enable full decarbonization are under development or not even blueprinted yet. Despite these challenges, heavy-industry players need to get going to respond to investor, customers, employees and regulator pressures, while keeping an eye of what breakthrough technologies to invest in for the future. System design, process optimization and energy efficiency constitute the foundations available today to start on the decarbonization path. Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics won’t solve all the challenges, but they can certainly provide additional tools required to accelerate the pace and lead the industry pack forward. The chemical industry is home to some good examples of tech-enabled sustainability, yet chemical players can learn from other industries already further ahead in the GHG emission reduction journey. We will provide flagship examples across industries of the “art of the possible” in setting the tech-enabled path to net-zero, and summarize key learning from our work supporting clients in defining and implementing their decarbonization strategies.