The relationship between chemical industry and energy is very close, which is also reflected in the fact that fossil fuels and their derivatives are not only energy, but also important raw materials for the chemical industry. Based on petroleum, a modern and powerful petrochemical industry has been formed, producing thousands of petrochemical products. In chemical production, some materials are both fuels and raw materials in a certain processing process (such as synthesis gas production), and the two are combined into one. So chemical production is not only a department that produces secondary energy, but also often a major energy consumer.

The processing and application of fossil fuels, especially coal, often generate wastewater, solid waste, and harmful gases, leading to environmental pollution. The prevention and control of pollution also rely on the application of various chemical technologies.

China's energy production has made great progress since 1949, but energy (especially oil) remains an important factor restricting the development of the national economy. Therefore, increasing energy production and saving energy are of great significance. Improving chemical production processes and reducing energy consumption can not only lower production costs and improve economic efficiency, but also help alleviate energy shortages. This is also an issue that has been highly valued by countries around the world in recent years.

In the long run, it is expected that fossil fuels will continue to dominate energy worldwide until the first half of the 21st century. With the passage of time, due to the limitations of fossil fuel resources, in addition to the conventional energy sources mentioned above, the development of several unconventional energy sources will receive increasing attention. Unconventional energy refers to nuclear energy and new energy, the latter including solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, wave energy, ocean energy, and bioenergy (such as biogas). In the long process of research, development, and large-scale application of solar and nuclear energy utilization, chemical engineering and chemical production technology also have great potential.