Pathways to net zero

The downstream oil and gas industry is under intensifying scrutiny as it works to balance global demand for fuels and petrochemicals with the urgent need to reduce CO₂ emissions. Refineries and petrochemical plants are inherently energy-intensive, and their carbon footprint has become a critical challenge in the era of net zero targets, stricter regulation, and investor expectations. To remain competitive, operators must look beyond incremental improvements and embrace transformative strategies. Among the most effective enablers are advanced process automation, reliable instrumentation, and digital solutions that deliver real-time insight into energy use and emissions.

With advanced process automation, precise measurement, and digital integration, downstream operators can achieve significant energy savings and meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Automation and measurement have always been central to plant operations, ensuring safety, product quality, and efficiency. Today, however, their role extends into sustainability. By enabling continuous optimisation of complex processes and supporting transparent emissions monitoring, these technologies allow operators to reduce variability, minimise flaring, and cut unnecessary energy consumption. The result is not only lower CO₂ output but also improved profitability in a market where every percentage point of efficiency counts.

The expanding role of automation in decarbonisation

Downstream operations involve some of the most complex industrial processes in the world, from distillation and cracking to hydrogen production. Small inefficiencies – like fouled heat exchangers, suboptimal column performance, or degraded rotating equipment – quickly translate into high energy costs and significant carbon emissions. Advanced automation platforms now enable refiners to go beyond traditional control. With continuous optimisation and predictive capabilities, operators can dynamically adjust processes to changing feedstocks and market conditions, ensuring the plant runs at its most efficient point consistently.

Reliable instrumentation is the foundation of this optimisation. Accurate measurement of flows, pressures, temperatures, and compositions ensures that decisions are based on trustworthy data. When combined with digital analytics, this creates a powerful feedback loop: precise data feeds smarter control, which in turn reduces energy waste and emissions.

Energy efficiency as a competitive lever

Energy typically accounts for the majority of operating costs in refining and petrochemicals. Improvements in efficiency therefore deliver both economic and environmental benefits. Advanced automation tools can achieve 3 - 7% reductions in overall energy consumption, while targeted applications, such as distillation optimisation, can save up to 10 - 15% in specific units. Optimised distillation processes, smarter heat integration, and better control of hydrogen production are all examples where advanced automation can cut fuel consumption significantly.

Here, plant-wide energy management has become an indispensable tool. Solutions such as the Visual MESA^® Energy Management System (VM-EMS) suite of applications, developed by KBC (A Yokogawa Company), provide a consolidated view of steam, fuels, water, and electricity consumption, and recommend optimal operating strategies in real time.

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