Artificial Intelligence Accelerates Petrochemical Industry Transition to Low Carbon Manufacturing

Research from East China University of Science and Technology sheds light on the crucial role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in reducing carbon emissions from the petrochemical industry. The study emphasizes the urgent need for the industry to transition to low carbon manufacturing, citing the industry's contribution of 14% of global industrial emissions. The researchers explore four aspects of AI in the petrochemical industry, including solvent selection and design for carbon capture, catalyst design for CO2 utilization, hybrid process modeling for optimal design and operation, and life cycle sustainability assessment.

Key Takeaways:

• The petrochemical industry contributes 14% of global industrial emissions, highlighting the need for transition to low carbon manufacturing.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) has shown significant potential in accelerating the large-scale deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies in the petrochemical industry.
• Four key aspects of AI in the petrochemical industry are explored: solvent selection and design for carbon capture, catalyst design for CO2 utilization, hybrid process modeling for optimal design and operation, and life cycle sustainability assessment.
• The researchers evaluate different AI-based approaches for each aspect, highlighting the goal of accelerating the petrochemical industry's transition to carbon neutrality.
• The study concludes that AI has the potential to accelerate the deployment of CCUS in the petrochemical industry, but most AI-based approaches are still in the research stage and not widely adopted in industrial practice.
• The research team, led by Jin Ma, includes Yide Han, Meihong Wang, Weimin Zhong, Wenli Du, and Feng Qian.

Statistics:

• The petrochemical industry contributes 14% of global industrial emissions.
• Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies can effectively reduce carbon emissions from the petrochemical industry.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to accelerate the large-scale deployment of CCUS in the petrochemical industry.
• The research explores four key aspects of AI in the petrochemical industry: solvent selection and design for carbon capture, catalyst design for CO2 utilization, hybrid process modeling for optimal design and operation, and life cycle sustainability assessment.

Sources:

• Perspective on artificial intelligence for carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) in Petrochemical Industry. Carbon Capture Science & Technology, 2025,16():100471.
• Jin Ma et al. (2025). Journal of Engineering, 2198.