Pro Support

Blog/News

10 Process Engineering and Design Trends for 2022

What are the ten key process engineering and process design trends to keep an eye on for the year 2022? If you’re a process plant engineer, are unsure what the trends will be, and are curious to find out what’s new in 2022 for process engineering and design, we understand—it can be tough to keep track. For that reason, Pro Support Solutions has put together the most comprehensive list of crucial process engineering and process design trends that you will notice in 2022. 

What is the best way to stay updated with process engineering trends?

One of the best ways to stay updated with process engineering trends is to read online publications since publications online will provide you with the newest content related to the process engineering industry. What you can also do is to visit recognized sites such as the Pro Support Solutions website. Sites like ours will provide you with the blog resources required to follow the current design trends and process engineering developments. Begin your search by looking at recognized industry leader sites in the process engineering and design fields, reading blogs like ours, and up-to-date content to discover the critical information you need.

What are some of the critical trends in process engineering and design at a glance?

Some of the critical trends in process engineering for 2022 include renewable energy development and its relation to process design, project development and techniques relating to bioethanol production, the reduction of carbon emissions, and new products for consumers and its relation to process engineering.  But there are six others to be aware of. So, here we go, let’s start the complete list!

1. Pharmaceutical companies will use process engineering and chemical engineering for personal care products

Since chemical engineering and process design plays a crucial role in pharmaceuticals, each of these will play a key role where companies will begin to increasingly produce personal care products and make them available on the market. In general, it is expected that customer use of personal care products is on the rise, and pharmaceutical companies will need to meet the demand for these products. The process design and chemical engineering industries will be pivotal in the upcoming years as pharmaceutical companies seek to fulfill these demands—another ongoing design trend for 2022

2. Working towards the reduction of the rise in carbon emissions

Process design and systems, and renewable energy, can play an essential role in the reduction of carbon emissions, and the reduction of carbon emissions is one goal that process design will continue to work towards. It’s one of the crucial trends, and the tools and technology offered by process design solutions companies are expected to contribute towards the reduction of carbon footprints for various companies. carbon-emissions As research by Allied Market indicates, renewable energy industry developments are likely to grow and increase by 8.4% by 2030, demonstrating that reducing the rise of carbon emissions is a crucial issue for energy companies. This will have an impact on the manufacturing of process systems and their markets.

3. Reduction of the use of plastics and increases in recycling

The design process industry is constantly seeking ways to reach a good sustainability level, and one of the major trends for the design process industry (in 2022 and the future) will be to reduce plastics and gain success in recycling.  Since the most promising alternatives to using plastics include recycling, it is a more than viable solution, and process systems companies will be looking at the main ways to achieve this. 

4. Improving biotechnological production processes for bioethanol

Process design, components, and elements (such as those produced by DG-SKID) have a key role in optimization related to the biotechnological production of ethanol. Future research tendencies indicate that fuel ethanol processes that lead to ethanol production costs must be compensated by way of producing valuable co products, and process engineering and process design plays a key role in this. Upon analysis of the challenges involved in the development of processes for bio ethanol, not only is process synthesis vital but modeling and optimization, as well as simulation, are all facilitated by process engineering. Cost effective technologies and process engineering designs can also help towards compensating ethanol production costs.  What’s also going to be a big trend are the main directions pursued for the techno economical evaluation of fuel ethanol production processes. Continuing process engineering trends for 2022 will therefore include improving biotechnological production processes, as well as bioethanol production with process intensification and process synthesis concepts.

5. Industry of consumer and customer products will rise with natural product lines

The growth of natural product lines and their availability for current and future markets will be another trend to keep in mind for 2022 and beyond. It has been recognized that customers are seeking natural alternatives instead of chemical products, and companies are bringing the most promising alternatives to the market.  There will be more of a focus on bringing products to market and developing products that fulfill the natural product lines markets using technologies and resources of quality process design and systems. It is anticipated that natural product line markets will increase in 2025 by 9.6%

6. The integrations of energy systems will increase

As well as increasing, the energy systems, such as renewable energy systems that can be joined to gas or electric systems, will become more elegantly designed. The integration opportunities for renewable energy systems will be dependent on exceptional process designs.  For this reason, energy integration is one of the continuing trends that relate to process engineering for 2022. 

7. Digital plant concepts will be on the rise

One goal of many huge chemical process engineering organizations, such as solvent and petrochemical producer BASF, is to have a digital plant that represents the actual plant sites that exist in reality. One of the crucial, continuing trends for 2022 is that this concept will be on the rise. process-engineering

8. Increases in the construction of modular plants

What the process engineering industry will also see are the increases in the construction of modular plants that are incredibly flexible.  Modular plants enhance the supply chain’s flexibility and are the optimum choice in comparison to plants that are large-scale because plant engineers can reconfigure them by making alterations to the modules. Plant engineering solutions organizations that manufacture modular plant systems will still need to meet the demands of the construction and plant engineering markets, and it is expected that this will still be a critical theme in 2022 and into the future.

9. Technology for process analysis will be optimized

In the sense of optimization, technology for process analysis, or PAT, will assist with the optimization of process technology, and will help towards emphasizing what is occurring in a plant’s reactor. Since PAT and optimizing this technology is a critical issue for the pharmaceutical industry, it’s thought that improving process plants’ potential will remain an important trending topic for process engineering and design.

10. Increases in mega plants across the globe

Finally, it is thought by process plant engineers that mega plants will increase in number across the globe alongside the construction of modular plants and chemical containers.  The main reason that mega plants are expected to increase is that there is a demand from bulk chemical manufacturers, who are looking for chemical plants and complexes. This is another trend to stay alert for in 2022.

For trends, tips, and resources, visit the Pro Support Solutions website

If you are on the search for more information on process engineering and design trends, the Pro Support Solutions website is where you’ll get the most up-to-date information on this. Learn about the tools, the design trends, the resources, and the services you require to take your project forward. Visit Pro Support Solutions and see the services we offer, and take a look at our partners’ websites MEFA and DG-SKID, to stay informed of all the crucial developments in process engineering, modular design, and key components.

Hear about our new and innovative products within the renewable energy, pipe and cable support industries.

Recent News