Oxygen: Emissions

A footprint that follows the power grid

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. Emission intensity 0.15 t CO2e per t range about 0.02-0.7 · 250 kWh per t at a world average grid of about 0.45-0.5 kg CO2 per kWh; liquid oxygen 3-4 times higher; near zero on renewable power Global emissions per year 60.0 Mt CO2e per year 2023 · about 400 Mt x 0.15 t CO2e per t

Per t of gaseous oxygen, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative (basis: energy use x grid intensity). Global total: Thunder Said Energy output; indicative intensity.

Share of footprint by lifecycle phase

Production / process 90% Movement 10%

Footprint by lifecycle phase

Phase	Intensity	Share	Main sources of emissions	Notes	Source
Feedstock	zero (air)	0%	none	air is free	not applicable
Production / process	about 0.12-0.14 t CO2e per t	90%	electricity for compression	on India's grid (about 0.7 kg CO2 per kWh) about 0.18 t per t (indicative)	indicative
Movement	about 0.01-0.02 t CO2e per t	10%	liquefaction and trucking for merchant product	near zero for pipeline supply	indicative
Use	not applicable	–	oxygen itself is not a greenhouse gas	combustion it enables is counted by the user	not applicable
End of life	not applicable	–	returns to air or forms oxides	not applicable	not applicable

Other environmental impacts

Negligible direct pollution. Large ASUs are significant electricity loads and can act as flexible demand.

Levers to cut emissions

Supply ASUs with renewable power purchase agreements
Run ASUs flexibly with liquid storage to absorb cheap solar power
Use by-product oxygen from electrolysers (8 t per t H2)
Higher-efficiency compressors and heat exchangers toward the 51 kWh/t minimum

India

Indian oxygen carries a higher footprint because of the coal-heavy grid (about 0.18 t CO2 per t, indicative). Gas companies in India are adding renewable power for ASUs (indicative).

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
ASU on renewable power	near zero	depends on power price; often none	gas majors sign renewable PPAs for ASUs (e.g. Linde and Air Liquide in Europe and India, indicative)	indicative

For a climate investor Oxygen is a small emitter in its own right; the opportunity is in flexible ASUs as grid loads and in pairing them with electrolysers and DRI steel. A fund can look at captive renewable power for gas plants, and at hospital-scale PSA and distribution, which India found was the real bottleneck in 2021. Builders include INOX Air Products, Linde India and Air Liquide.