The role of process intensification in addressing the dual energy challenge

Worldwide, human population and living standards are rising in tandem; by 2040, the world's population is projected to reach about 9.2 billion people compared to about 7.4 billion in 2016. Over that period, global GDP is expected to approximately double, helping billions of people join the middle class. Coincident with this growing economic activity and prosperity, global energy demand will likely rise about 25 percent even as energy efficiency gains continue to help curb energy use in many ways. The world faces a dual challenge: provide reliable and affordable energy to sustain population growth and improve living standards while protecting the environment. Process intensification (PI) is not new but has become an area of greater focus as it can lead to more sustainable, effective and efficient processes and can be part of a solution set to help mitigate the risks of climate change. This paper provides a brief introduction to PI and PI's role in addressing the dual energy challenge. We then discuss two examples of the application of PI at ExxonMobil to develop technologies with increased energy efficiency and lower carbon footprint compared to conventional processes. Finally, we highlight the technical challenges of PI implementation and potential future developments.