Time is running out! We have to get our greenhouse emissions under control and eliminate it completely before it’s too late. The effects of climate change are already beginning to appear and, in this background, the most carbon-intensive sectors have undertaken sustainable business strategies to achieve their net zero goals but is it going to be enough? PROCESS Worldwide lists down four progressive solutions that will help industries to decarbonize their operations.

The chemical industry is leading the hydrogen race — no wonder that the light gas is also capturing the imagination at Achema. The mysterious green molecule of endless possibilities plays a decisive role at the leading trade fair for chemistry, the event organizers at Dechema believe.

With a revenue of 1.4 billion dollars in 2020, Tata Chemicals needs no introduction. Zarir Langrana, Executive Director and President (Global Chemicals Business), Tata Chemicals in an interview with PROCESS Worldwide shares the various measures undertaken by the company in the background of trending concepts such as circular economy, digitalization and decarbonization.

The recent report titled ‘2022 Chemical Industry Outlook’ by Deloitte highlights 5 key trends in the U.S. chemical industry. Right from adopting digital technologies to undertaking sustainability measures such as the implementation of e-crackers, advanced chemical recycling, green hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, the report elaborates on the current trends that are set to transform the industry like never before.

E-crackers are the next big thing within the chemical process industry as it has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 90 %. The transition of this core industrial process has already begun with leading petrochemical companies looking to establish pilot e-cracker plants across Europe. PROCESS Worldwide revisits its ‘Progress on E-Cracking’ article by highlighting the top 3 e-cracker projects in the news this year.

With sales of more than 2 trillion euros (2.26 trillion dollars; 2020), China is by far the largest chemical producer in the world. Even though growth has slowed from an average of 8.7 to 5.7 percent in recent years, this figure is still very impressive by global standards. This is also true for investments in property, plant and equipment, which amounted to 115 billion euros in 2020. Based on our China Market Insider series, we have summarized some interesting market trends and developments in China's chemical industry this year.

Specialty chemicals are currently at the top of the Chinese Government's plans. Due to the importance of new materials for several key industries - from e-mobility to renewable energies and semiconductors - this branch of the chemical industry is set to receive strong support over the next five years.

Climate protection can open up new markets for the chemical industry in China on a large scale in the coming decade. This also applies to European companies. As the chemical newspaper Zhongguo Huagong Xinxi Zhoukan reports, additional market demand of around 1.4 trillion Chinese yuan (about 222 billion dollars) will arise for several specific specialty chemicals needed for climate change.

The 4th ‘China International Import Expo (CIIE)’ showed where the chemical industry in China is heading. At the beginning of November, while climate negotiations were taking place in Glasgow, keywords such as ‘low carbon,’ ‘green,’ or ‘circular economy’ also dominated the presentations of Chinese and international chemical companies at the Expo in Shanghai.

The cost of natural gas for industrial heating processes, electric power and HVAC is rising while emissions controls also grow more stringent. Engineers must adapt and learn how to better control the calorific value of their gas feeds to optimize industrial heating processes. Controlling your burn reduces consumption, costs and emissions.