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Audit-Ready Carbon Reporting for Chemical Manufacturers

Track steam cracker fuel consumption, chemical synthesis process emissions, feedstock carbon intensity, and product-level footprints for chemical operations.

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The Industry Hotspot: Steam Cracking and Process Heat

Steam cracking and synthesis heat dominate

Chemical manufacturing emissions concentrate in steam cracking and process heat. Steam crackers thermally decompose naphtha or ethane producing ethylene and propylene. Furnaces heat hydrocarbons to high temperatures breaking molecular bonds. This requires substantial fuel combustion generating process CO2. Natural gas or fuel oil provides cracking energy. Downstream chemical synthesis uses reactors, separators, and distillation columns consuming additional heat and electricity. Ammonia production for fertilizers uses natural gas as hydrogen source releasing CO2. Specialty chemicals require multi-step synthesis with solvents and reagents. Feedstock choice affects product carbon intensity with bio-based alternatives offering lower footprints. NetNada tracks steam cracker fuel consumption, monitors chemical process unit energy, aggregates feedstock embodied emissions, and reports product-level carbon intensity.

SASB Industry Definition

The Chemicals industry produces commodity chemicals (ethylene, propylene, ammonia), agricultural chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides), specialty chemicals (catalysts, additives, polymers), and industrial gases. Manufacturing includes steam cracking hydrocarbons, chemical synthesis reactions, distillation, and purification. Operations are energy-intensive with process emissions from chemical reactions. Feedstock choice and production location grid intensity significantly affect product carbon footprint.

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Industry-Specific Carbon Accounting

No generic solutions. Metrics, data sources, and reporting aligned to Chemicals operations.

Steam Cracker Fuel Consumption

Steam crackers thermally decompose hydrocarbons producing olefins. Furnaces operate at high temperatures requiring substantial fuel input. Natural gas or fuel oil combustion provides cracking energy. Track fuel consumption per tonne ethylene or propylene produced. Benchmark crackers by thermal efficiency. Implement process optimization reducing fuel intensity.

Cracker fuel per tonne olefins

Chemical Synthesis Process Emissions

Chemical reactions release CO2 as byproduct or consume carbon-containing reagents. Ammonia synthesis converts natural gas methane to hydrogen releasing CO2. Oxidation reactions generate CO2 from carbon feedstocks. Track process emissions by reaction pathway and product. Calculate emissions per tonne chemical produced. Identify process routes with lower carbon intensity.

Process emissions by product type

Feedstock Carbon Intensity

Chemical feedstocks including naphtha, ethane, and natural gas have embodied emissions from extraction and refining. Bio-based feedstocks from biomass or waste streams offer lower carbon intensity. Feedstock choice affects product carbon footprint substantially. Track feedstock sourcing by type and origin. Apply supply chain emission factors. Calculate feedstock contribution to product carbon intensity.

Feedstock emissions by source type

Downstream Processing Energy

Separation and purification of chemical products use distillation columns, crystallizers, and drying equipment. Distillation requires heat for vaporization. Refrigeration cools condensers. Pumps and compressors move fluids consuming electricity. Track utility consumption by process unit. Allocate energy to products based on throughput. Calculate processing energy per tonne final product.

Processing energy by product line

Product-Level Carbon Footprints

Chemical portfolios include diverse products with varying carbon intensities. Commodity chemicals from steam crackers have different footprints than specialty syntheses. Bio-based alternatives to petroleum-derived chemicals reduce product carbon intensity. Calculate carbon footprint by product type including feedstock, processing, and utilities. Report product carbon intensity enabling customer lifecycle assessments.

Carbon intensity per chemical product

SASB RT-CH Metrics Automation

Auto-generate disclosure including gross Scope 1 and 2 emissions, energy consumption, percentage renewable energy, production volumes by product category, process safety incidents, and air quality emissions. Footnotes cite manufacturing sites and product lines.

SASB RT-CH compliant

Product Features for Chemicals

Use Carbon Data Uploader to import steam cracker fuel logs, process unit energy data, feedstock sourcing records, and production volumes for automated chemical manufacturing emissions. Learn more →

The Activity Calculator applies factors for natural gas, naphtha, electricity, and chemical-specific processes—calculating product-level carbon footprints for chemical portfolios. Learn more →

Related Solutions

See our Carbon Accounting solution for chemical manufacturing emissions tracking from feedstock supply chains through synthesis and product carbon intensity reporting.

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Chemicals Case Studies

How entities in this industry use NetNada to solve carbon accounting challenges.

Integrated Petrochemical Complex (Steam cracker producing ethylene and propylene, Downstream polymer production, Global chemical sales)

Challenge

Industrial customers demanded product carbon footprints for procurement decisions. Steam cracker represented largest emission source but allocation to olefin products unclear. Downstream polymer carbon intensity needed calculation including monomer feedstock. CBAM regulations required product-level reporting for exports.

Solution

Implemented product carbon accounting separating steam cracker operations from downstream units. Tracked cracker fuel consumption and allocated emissions to ethylene and propylene by yield. Monitored polymer production energy and calculated carbon intensity including monomer feedstock embodied emissions. Generated product carbon footprints by resin grade.

Result

Established product carbon intensity for olefins and polymers enabling customer reporting. Demonstrated variation across product portfolio with optimization opportunities identified. Optimized cracker operations reducing fuel per tonne ethylene. Prepared CBAM-compliant product carbon documentation for European exports supporting continued market access.

Specialty Chemicals Manufacturer (Multi-step synthesis products, Pharmaceutical and agricultural intermediates, Batch operations)

Challenge

Pharmaceutical customers requested active pharmaceutical ingredient precursor carbon footprints. Complex synthesis routes with multiple solvents and reagents. Energy-intensive purification steps. Needed methodology allocating facility overhead to diverse low-volume products.

Solution

Deployed batch-level carbon tracking capturing utilities and materials per production campaign. Tracked solvent consumption and recovery rates. Monitored purification energy by product line. Calculated product carbon intensity per kilogram including feedstocks, reagents, solvents, and allocated facility energy.

Result

Generated product-specific carbon footprints for specialty chemical portfolio. Identified high-intensity products and processes for reduction focus. Improved solvent recovery reducing fresh solvent consumption and emissions. Provided pharmaceutical customers with intermediate carbon data enabling drug product lifecycle assessments.

SASB Disclosure Topics for Chemicals

Material sustainability topics beyond emissions that investors and stakeholders expect disclosed per SASB standards.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

environment

Track Scope 1 from steam cracker fuel, process unit combustion, and chemical reaction emissions. Report Scope 2 from electricity for compression and pumping. Calculate Scope 3 from feedstocks and purchased intermediates. Report emissions per tonne product by chemical type.

Energy Management

environment

Monitor facility energy for steam crackers, reactors, and separation units. Track energy intensity per tonne product. Report waste heat recovery and cogeneration systems.

Feedstock Sourcing

environment

Track feedstock mix including naphtha, ethane, natural gas, and bio-based alternatives. Monitor feedstock carbon intensity by source. Report percentage of bio-based or recycled feedstocks.

Product Stewardship

social

Disclose product safety data sheets and hazard classifications. Report chemical inventory and release tracking. Track product take-back and responsible disposal programs.

Process Safety

social

Report process safety incidents and tier 1 events. Disclose safety management systems and auditing. Track employee and contractor safety training hours.

Product Carbon Intensity

business model

Calculate product-level carbon footprints by chemical type. Report carbon intensity variation across production routes. Disclose low-carbon product development including bio-based alternatives.

NetNada tracks all SASB material topics, not just emissions. Our platform supports disclosure across environmental, social, governance, and business model topics relevant to your industry.

Chemicals FAQs

Common questions about carbon accounting for this industry

Why are steam crackers such significant emission sources?
Steam cracking thermally decomposes hydrocarbons requiring high temperatures. Furnaces heat feedstock above typical combustion temperatures breaking chemical bonds. This demands substantial fuel input with associated CO2 emissions. Cracking also generates byproduct emissions from incomplete reactions. Crackers operate continuously consuming fuel year-round. Single cracker may produce hundreds of thousands of tonnes olefins annually with proportional fuel consumption and emissions.
How do bio-based chemicals compare to petroleum-derived products for carbon footprint?
Bio-based chemicals from biomass feedstocks typically have lower carbon intensity than petroleum equivalents. Biomass carbon comes from recent atmospheric CO2 captured during plant growth. Processing bio-feedstocks into chemicals requires energy with associated emissions. Net carbon benefit depends on agricultural production methods, conversion efficiency, and co-product credits. Lifecycle studies show bio-based polymers and solvents achieving emission reductions versus petroleum routes. Report product carbon intensity by feedstock type enabling comparisons.
Should chemical manufacturers report Scope 3 emissions from sold products?
Scope 3 Category 11 (Use of Sold Products) depends on chemical application. Many chemicals are intermediates incorporated into customer products without direct use-phase emissions. However, some chemicals generate end-of-life emissions: Fertilizers release nitrous oxide from agricultural soils after application. Plastics may be incinerated releasing fossil carbon. Solvents may evaporate or combust during customer use. Most chemical companies focus on: Product-level carbon footprints for customer lifecycle assessments. Feedstock and manufacturing process emissions. Product stewardship including safe handling and disposal guidance. Direct use-phase emissions reporting varies by product type and customer application.
Can chemical manufacturers reduce process emissions?
Process emission reduction strategies include: Energy efficiency: Steam cracker optimization, heat integration, and waste heat recovery reducing fuel consumption. Alternative feedstocks: Bio-based or recycled chemical feedstocks lowering embodied emissions. Process route changes: Alternative synthesis pathways with lower energy or emission intensity. Carbon capture: Capturing CO2 from concentrated sources like ammonia synthesis or hydrogen production. Electrification: Using electric crackers or hydrogen from electrolysis instead of steam methane reforming. Track process emission intensity by product over time. Set reduction targets aligned with decarbonization pathways. Industry exploring breakthrough technologies including renewable hydrogen and electrified processes.
How does production location affect chemical carbon footprint?
Chemical manufacturing carbon intensity varies significantly by facility location due to grid electricity emissions and feedstock sources. Plants in regions with coal-heavy grids have higher Scope 2 emissions than renewable-powered facilities. Feedstock availability affects economics and emissions: Ethane from natural gas liquids versus naphtha from crude oil refining. Renewable electricity availability for electrolysis-based processes. Access to bio-based feedstocks or industrial CO2 for carbon utilization. Product carbon footprints should specify production location. Companies with multiple facilities can report regional variation. Siting new capacity in low-carbon grid regions or with dedicated renewable energy reduces product carbon intensity.

Track Chemical Processing, Feedstocks, and Product Carbon Intensity

See how chemical manufacturers monitor steam crackers, calculate product-level emissions, and generate SASB-aligned disclosures—automated from process and feedstock data.

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