Propylene oxide: Emissions
Route and co-product accounting swing the footprint
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 2.50 t CO2e per t range about 1.5-4 depending on route and co-product allocation · cradle-to-gate, mixed routes (indicative) Global emissions per year 30.0 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · about 2.5 t x about 12 Mt (indicative)Per t of PO, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative (basis: Plastics Europe eco-profiles and route LCAs). Global total: derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 48% Production / process 48% Movement 4%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.2 t CO2e per t | 48% | Propylene (about 0.8 t at about 1.5 t CO2e/t) | indicative | |
| Production / process | about 1.2 t CO2e per t | 48% | Oxidant production (chlor-alkali power, H2O2 from SMR hydrogen), steam for separations | HPPO is lowest; chlorohydrin highest | indicative |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e per t | 4% | ISO tanks and parcel tankers | indicative | |
| Use | not applicable | – | Converted into polyols | PU foam blowing agents are a separate GHG issue | n/a |
| End of life | depends on PU foam fate | – | Mattresses and insulation landfilled or incinerated | PU recycling is limited | n/a |
Other environmental impacts
Chlorohydrin route generates about 40-50 t of salty wastewater per t PO (indicative); PO is a hazardous air pollutant.
Levers to cut emissions
- Replace chlorohydrin with HPPO (no chlorine, water by-product).
- Low-carbon hydrogen for hydrogen peroxide.
- Recycled polyols from PU foam glycolysis or acidolysis.
- Bio-based propylene glycol from glycerine.
India
India's only PO plant uses the chlorohydrin route (indicative); there is no announced HPPO or bio-PG project in India.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPPO replacing chlorohydrin | lower than chlorohydrin, and no brine (indicative) | none at scale | BASF-Dow Antwerp and Sadara; widespread in China | indicative |
| Bio-propylene glycol from glycerine | lower fossil CO2 (not published) | depends on glycerine price | ADM (US), Oleon (Belgium) (indicative) | indicative |
| Foam-to-polyol recycling | not published | not published | Dow RENUVA, Covestro and start-ups at pilot or early commercial scale (indicative) | indicative |