# Small-molecule APIs: Emissions

Why coal-fired steam makes Indian APIs carbon heavy

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies.

Per kg of API, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Kekessie et al. 2024 (ACS GCI) PMI; derived (indicative). Global total: Belkhir and Elmeligi, J. Cleaner Production (2019).

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 50% Production / process 45% Movement 5%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | solvents, reagents and KSMs | 50% | virgin solvent make-up, fossil aromatics | solvents are typically the majority of PMI (indicative) | ACS GCI (indicative) |
| **Production / process** | steam and electricity for reaction, distillation and drying | 45% | coal-heavy grids and coal boilers in India and China | steam dominated process energy for paracetamol in India (Vivar et al. 2025) | Vivar et al. 2025; indicative |
| **Movement** | sea freight small; air freight for high-value APIs | 5% | air freight | indicative | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable for combustion; APIs pass through patients | – | excretion to wastewater | pharmaceutical residues and antimicrobial resistance are the main use-phase impacts | qualitative |
| **End of life** | incineration of spent solvents and unused medicines | – | solvent incineration emits fossil CO2 | solvent waste incineration is counted here when not in process | qualitative |

#### Other environmental impacts

Effluent from API clusters (Patancheru-Pashamylaram in Telangana, Ankleshwar and Vapi in Gujarat) has carried high antibiotic concentrations, a driver of antimicrobial resistance. Chlorinated solvents and high-COD effluent are the main local issues.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Solvent recovery and substitution (DCM, DMF, NMP to greener solvents)
- Route redesign with biocatalysis and flow to cut PMI
- Renewable power and electric or biomass steam in API clusters
- Zero liquid discharge and AMR-safe effluent standards

#### India

India's API clusters run largely on coal-fired captive steam and the state grid; a paracetamol case study found India's process energy footprint above France's because of grid and steam (Vivar et al. 2025).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Biocatalytic and continuous-flow routes** | PMI cuts of half or more in award cases (indicative) | often cost-saving after development | used by originators and leading CDMOs; few Indian generic producers at scale | ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable (indicative) |

 For a climate investor The opportunity is in process technology and utilities for API clusters: solvent recovery, green steam, effluent treatment that meets antibiotic discharge limits, and flow chemistry platforms. PLI plants and the three bulk drug parks need common utilities, which could be built low-carbon from the start. It only pays if Indian KSM plants stay viable against Chinese pricing, which so far needs MIPs and duties.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/apis/links/index.md)