Purified terephthalic acid: Emissions
Most of the carbon comes in with paraxylene
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 1.30 t CO2e per t range 1.1-1.8 · indicative (basis: 0.66 t PX x 1.43 t CO2e/t from Plastics Europe, plus about 0.35 t CO2e/t for oxidation, purification and acetic acid burn) Global emissions per year 110 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 1.3 t CO2e/t x 85 Mt (indicative)Per t of PTA, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: derived from Plastics Europe Public LCI Database via Climatiq; indicative. Global total: derived.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 72% Production / process 25% Movement 3%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 0.94 t CO2e per t (PX) | 72% | PX footprint | derived | |
| Production / process | about 0.33 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 25% | Air compression, hydrogenation, drying, acetic acid oxidation losses; coal-fired utilities in China | Oxidation is exothermic and exports steam | indicative |
| Movement | about 0.03-0.05 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 3% | Container shipping | indicative | |
| Use | not applicable | – | Intermediate | n/a | |
| End of life | about 2.3 t CO2 per t PET if incinerated | – | Polyester textiles mostly landfilled or burnt | Bottle-to-bottle and depolymerisation recycling can return PTA-equivalent monomers | stoichiometry |
Other environmental impacts
High-COD wastewater; bromide and acetic acid emissions; microfibre shedding from polyester textiles.
Levers to cut emissions
- Renewable power and electric boilers for utilities
- Heat recovery from oxidation (already common)
- Chemical recycling of PET to monomers
- Higher recycled content in fibre
India
India's PTA plants run on mixed grid and captive power; no product footprint is published. Large textile exporters face EU pressure for recycled content (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depolymerisation of PET (glycolysis, methanolysis, enzymatic e.g. Carbios) | not published | not published | Carbios plant in France delayed (indicative); several pilots | indicative |
| Bio-based PTA or PEF | not published | large | small scale | indicative |