New report identifies overwhelming enthusiasm for green utility provision in petrochemicals sector
A new report and survey into utility provision in the petrochemical industry has identified overwhelming enthusiasm for sustainable practices, with almost all process engineers surveyed stating they would pay substantially more for greener equipment.
For Aggreko’s most recent whitepapers, titled Process Matters, the organization and its independent research partner Censuswide questioned 600 engineers from the British, German, French, Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourgian petrochemical sectors on current market conditions. Despite identifying clear upcoming challenges for the sector, 95% of respondents said they were willing to pay 25-50% extra for greener power and temperature control solutions.
“These findings are extremely heartening and show a sector more than willing to back up sentiment with action when it comes to sustainability,” says Jordi Camanyes, Petrochemical and Refining Sector Leader – Europe. “It is good to know that even in a volatile business landscape where feedstock prices are rising and energy prices continue to fluctuate, the industry still has its eye on long-term pressures such as climate change.
“It is therefore extremely encouraging that despite the challenges posed to the sector by tightening green legislation, petrochemical process engineers are willing to meet the challenge head on. Given this marked enthusiasm, the pressure is now on suppliers to provide solutions that deliver on the sector’s ambitions.”
Those surveyed also made clear their demands for a sustainable supply chain, with 94% of respondents saying they expected their suppliers to have a robust environmental and social responsibility strategy. With these findings in mind, Jordi is encouraging petrochemical facility stakeholders to review existing power and temperature control equipment procurement strategies to realize immediate sustainability gains while maintaining plant performance.
“In order to achieve overarching decarbonization goals while ensuring refinery processes are as efficient as possible, existing equipment provision may need to be adjusted,” he concludes. “Squeezed capex budgets and rapidly advancing green technologies and legislation, including the European Union’s transition pathway for chemicals, is making the business case for permanent installations more difficult. These assets may soon become outmoded, uncompliant, or stranded, necessitating the use of short-to-medium-term bridging solutions to help make petrochemical engineers’ sustainability ambitions a reality.
“I would therefore encourage plant equipment procurement stakeholders to read our new Process Matters reports and see how dynamic, modular technologies, including Stage V generators and battery energy storage solutions, can be implemented into existing operations. Doing so will be key to ensuring petrochemical plant processes continue to run efficiently and without disruption, even during a time of rapid upheaval for the sector.”
To download the latest Aggreko reports, Process Matters: Rethinking Cooling Processes in European Petrochemicals, and Process Matters: Rethinking Power in European Petrochemicals, click here.
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