WEMO24-Compiled Report-Interactive compressed (002) 4154-7882-8116 v.1 - Flipbook - Page 135
The decarbonization of heat is a key
challenge
50% of the demand for energy is for heat. Over 70%2 of that
heat is generated directly from fossil fuels. This stark fact
emphasizes that the decarbonization of heat – and cooling –
is critical to the future of our planet. The shift from generating
heat from fossil fuels, to generating heat from zero emissions,
is essential to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
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Shift the spotlight to heat
As we focus on energy transition and the journey towards net
zero, the decarbonization of heat has not yet been a sufficient
priority. Yet the rewards are significant and not all opportunities
are in hard-to-abate sectors.
Industrial heat in focus
Industrial heat is a significant part of these emissions, with
20%3 of global emissions being currently produced by industrial
heat. Decarbonizing energy-hungry industries that require
extremely high temperatures, like steel, chemicals and cement,
is challenging. But the potential positive impact of shifting to
solutions like hydrogen, green ammonia, and other biofuels or,
where possible, electrification sources, is huge.
Medium and low temperature industrial processes, which
include pulp and paper, food and beverages, plastics, and some
chemicals, make up 60%4 of heat consumption. Here, proven
low-carbon energy alternatives, such as heat pumps and electric
boilers, are already established and delivering impressive results.
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Newer technologies also allow for the storage and transfer
of heat energy for onward use. They are already replacing
heat generation from fossil fuels at the higher end of the
temperature scale.
Thermal batteries store heat using a variety of technologies
and can be used in a wide range of industrial use cases. They
contribute to improved sustainability and lower cost of heat
via two routes. The first is by decoupling timing of energy
consumption and heat consumption. For example, by charging
when electricity is cheap and then using heat when it’s needed.
And the second is by providing flexibility in the grid, enabling
asset owners to be paid to use electricity when there is
overcapacity / supply surplus in the grid.
Time to get moving
Established methods are available to directly reuse or upgrade
waste heat from industrial processes. The applications can
include low temperature processes, space and water heating,
as well as cooling provided via heat pumps.
WEMO 2024
Efforts to decarbonize heating and cooling, which is responsible
for 39%1 of global CO₂ emission, have been lagging. Now is the
time to shift the spotlight to decarbonization.
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Industrial heat is in the blind
spot of energy transition
1 International Energy Agency, Renewables 2022 https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2022/
renewable-heat
2 IRENA: Power to heat and cooling: Status
3 McKinsey & Company: Industrial heat pumps: Five considerations for future growth
4 IEA: Industrial heat demand by temperature rang
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