The 2020 AIChE Spring Meeting & 16th GCPS kicked off this morning with a virtual keynote address given by Bhavesh V. (Bob) Patel, CEO of LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, the Netherlands). Entitled “Beyond the Horizon: The Factors and Forces Affecting the Global Petrochemical Industry,” Patel outlined four key pillars what will shape the chemical process industries (CPI) in the coming decades. He also provided some commentary about how the industry has responded to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and created crucial products for frontline workers, including PPE and hand sanitizers. “Chemical engineers are vital to addressing society’s challenges. With Covid-19, we are re-evaluating how we do business,” said Patel.
Patel presented the AIChE virtual keynote address via Zoom on August 17
The four major areas highlighted by Patel that will be instrumental in shaping the next decade of CPI operations were: globalization; digitization; environmental sustainability; and plastic waste/circularity.
Globalization. For the CPI, Patel explains that this trend is defined by the growing middle class and the need for increased urban infrastructure. Also, he believes that there will be increased production in regions with low-cost feedstocks, and that Africa will be a region of significant production activity in the coming years.
Digitization. The pandemic has tested the limits of virtual work in many ways. “So much is done virtually today, even monitoring process parameters in production sites. The pandemic has further accelerated the adoption of digital technologies,” said Patel. He also emphasized that with both globalization and digitization, cybersecurity threats must be properly managed. The benefits of digitization also extend into the process safety space, and Patel provided several examples from LyondellBasell’s sites, including the use of drones for tank inspections to minimize manual entry; and the use of wearable devices to streamline other maintenance work.
Sustainability. Environmental sustainability is a matter of both near- and long-term focus for the CPI. “Sustainability will be the next frontier in terms of technologies advancements and how our industry is seen as improving the environment,” said Patel.
Plastic circularity. “The issue of plastic waste must be solved. We as an industry must think about the lifecycle of plastics and their impact on the environment,” emphasized Patel, highlighting the CPI’s contributions to the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and the value of collaboration across disparate value chains. “In the case of plastics, we must engage the entire value chains. We are thinking about the entire lifecycle, not just the production of pellets.” A particular area of focus for LyondellBasell is in both mechanical and molecular (chemical) recycling. On the molecular recycling front, the company has teamed up with SUEZ to form a joint venture, Quality Circular Polymers (QCP), which processes mixed consumer waste into new resins.
For chemical recycling, mixed waste is processed through pyrolysis to convert it into feedstocks for new plastics. LyondellBasell recently commissioned a pilot plant for molecular recycling and remains optimistic about its sustainability potential.
Finally, although there are no shortages of challenges in society at large and industry, Patel remained optimistic about the role of chemical engineers. “There’s never been a more exciting time to be a chemical engineer. We have the opportunity to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, applying digital technologies to make plants safer, more efficient and produce new products. What an exciting time for us to shape how our industry can meet the needs of the world tomorrow.”