Study / Energy hybridisation of industrial processes
Emissions from the industrial sector are on a downward trend, due to decarbonisation efforts by manufacturers and high energy prices.
Some of these high-emission industrial processes are difficult to decarbonise because of the lack of compatible low-carbon alternatives, or the lack of availability and competitiveness of these
alternatives
This is particularly the case at high temperatures (above 300°C), for example in the metallurgy, materials and chemicals sectors. Hybridisation may therefore be a suitable solution to reduce emissions from these processes.
This study is limited to hybridisation solutions:
1) The first part of the study provides an overview of electric solutions and the low carbon hydrogen value chain, as well as a description of thermal processes in sectors that are hard-to-abate due to the high temperatures required (above 300°C): materials, metallurgy and chemical
2) Secondly, case studies are carried out to assess the technical and economic benefits of hybridisation. The case studies involved hybridising the processes under consideration by:
Some of these high-emission industrial processes are difficult to decarbonise because of the lack of compatible low-carbon alternatives, or the lack of availability and competitiveness of these
alternatives
This is particularly the case at high temperatures (above 300°C), for example in the metallurgy, materials and chemicals sectors. Hybridisation may therefore be a suitable solution to reduce emissions from these processes.
This study is limited to hybridisation solutions:
- Between natural gas and electricity or between natural gas and hydrogen.
- Direct, i.e. two energy carriers are used directly and locally in the production process without any major intermediate conversion or storage stages.
- For the demand-side, to identify near-term opportunities for decarbonisation projects through energy hybridisation.
- For the supply-side, to understand and get a better knowledge of the possible technology combinations and the technology needs of customer sectors.
1) The first part of the study provides an overview of electric solutions and the low carbon hydrogen value chain, as well as a description of thermal processes in sectors that are hard-to-abate due to the high temperatures required (above 300°C): materials, metallurgy and chemical
2) Secondly, case studies are carried out to assess the technical and economic benefits of hybridisation. The case studies involved hybridising the processes under consideration by:
- Injecting hydrogen at a compatible rate into the kiln burners,
- Electric heating of the pre-firing zone of the brick kiln,
- Electrification of the dryer using a heat pump to improve heat recovery
- All of these hybridisations presented in the second part ensure the sustainability of the processes without compromising the quality of the end products, as the hybridisation does not affect the heat transfer mechanism of the existing process.
- From an economic point of view, the results obtained in France show an increase in the cost of metallurgy and material hybridisation
- In the case of the metallurgical furnace, the scenario of using hydrogen when it is cost competitive allows a small reduction in CO2 emissions, but at a lower cost.
- In the case of the tunnel kiln, hybridisation with electric resistors remains limited and uncompetitive.
- In the case of the rotary dryer, the performance of the heat pump combined with heat recovery means that the project is profitable
