Low-carbon pathways and electrochemical/electrification technologies development in the refining-chemical industry: A review

The refining-chemical industry is a key sector to support social development by providing chemical and energy products. However, it is facing a complex and challenging situation in terms of energy conservation and carbon reduction. In this paper, the carbon reduction pathways in the refining-chemical industry and the technological development of electrification in the chemical and power supply sectors were explored and analyzed. The results reviewed the industry characteristics, processing technology routes, and energy consumption in the domestic refining-chemical industry, highlighted the challenges in energy conservation and carbon reduction, and summarized the transformation and upgrading directions that have achieved consensus. The opportunities brought by the development of the new green electricity and green hydrogen energy industries were discussed, the role of energy storage technology and green electricity-to-hydrogen production technology were analyzed, and the current development status of electrification technology in the chemical and power supply sectors were emphasized. It was confirmed that process improvement is the key core, zero-carbon energy coupling is the primary prerequisite, electrification is the connecting hub, and decarbonization technologies are the ultimate guarantee for the green and low-carbon transformation of the refining-chemical industry. The article also provides recommendations for the future technological development of the refining-chemical industry and related sectors, serving as a reference for guiding the green and low-carbon transformation of the domestic refining-chemical industry.