Reported emissions from the non-fluorinated chemicals sector have increased by 20.2 million metric tons MMT CO2e (12.4 percent) since 2011. After a slight drop (3 percent) from 2011 to 2012, emissions have steadily increased by 1 to 3 percent per year through 2017 and by 5 percent for 2018. The emissions increase was due primarily to large increases in emissions from ammonia production, hydrogen production, and petrochemical production, which are the three largest contributors to emissions in the non-fluorinated chemicals sector. The non-fluorinated chemicals sector has other chemical subsectors for which emissions were either relatively steady or declined, but the magnitude of these emissions is small relative to those of the ammonia, hydrogen, and petrochemical production subsectors.
Ammonia Production. While somewhat variable from year to year, reported emissions from ammonia production increased by 43.8 percent (10.8 MMT) from 2011 to 2018. This is mostly due to an increase in the number of ammonia production facilities. In 2016 and 2017, 3 new ammonia production facilities were opened per year, for a total increase of 6 facilities. For 2018, the number of facilities did not change from 2017.
Hydrogen Production. Reported emissions from the hydrogen production subsector increased by 22.1 percent (8.3 MMT) from 2011 to 2018. The increase in emissions is at least partly driven by increased demand by petroleum refineries due to an expansion of the scope of engines required to use low sulfur and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.[1]
Petrochemical Production. Reported emissions from the petrochemical production subsector increased by 8.7 percent (4.6 MMT) from 2011 to 2018. Emissions from petrochemical production remained relatively consistent from 2011 to 2017, but emissions increased by 6.2 percent (3.4 MMT) from 2017 to 2018. This increase is mostly due to new process units at 2 petrochemical production facilities.
[1] Lowering the sulfur content of diesel fuel is achieved by increasing hydro-treating capacity of fluid catalytic crackers and requires additional inputs of hydrogen at refineries. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA-454/R-14-003, February 2014. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/documents/tier3/454r14003.pdf.