On 17 June, 2024, ETIP Bioenergy hosted an online webinar on the topic of Renewable energy options for industrial processes. Andrej Misech, a member of the ETIP Bioenergy secretariat facilitated the presentations and discussion during the event.

The transition to renewable energy is critical for industries to achieve sustainability and meet ambitious net-zero emissions targets. The webinar explored various renewable energy technologies that already are and can be integrated into industrial processes. Industry-specific examples were presented to illustrate their deployment. The webinar also offered the opportunity to exchange with speakers and discuss and reflect on the opportunities that the recently agreed Net Zero Industry Act will create for European RES technologies contributing to the decarbonisation of industrial processes.

Andrej Misech, member of the ETIP Bioenergy has provided a very brief introduction to industrial process heat, highlighting associated challenges and available renewable energies able to supply this heat. Nicolas de la Vega followed with an overview of the Net Zero Industry Act, focusing on relevant aspects related to the use of renewable in industries. These included technologies covered by the act Article 4),  non-price criteria in RE auctions (Article 26), net-zero regulatory sandboxes (Article 33), and pre-commercial procurement and innovative PP (Article 27).

The invited experts from solar thermal, concentrated solar thermal, bioenergy, geothermal and heat pumps sectors presented practical cases showcasing their respective RE technologies supplying process heat for industries. The presentations showed that different technologies are suitable in different scenarios and there is no one-size-fits-all. Moreover, in some cases hybridisation (e.g. biomass and CST) is possible and the most suitable solution to achieve the desired outcomes.

Consensus among the experts emphasised the ned for sustained strategic support from the European Commission in long-term (i.e. decades). Such support would allow companies secure early capital and ultimately lead to cost reductions through mass production. Additionally, given that some projects take 5-10 years to establish, long-term political backing is essential.

Slide presentations:

Introduction to industrial process heat & Net Zero Industry Act

Andrej Misech & Nicolas de la Vega, EUREC

Solar heat for industrial processes–net zero solutions in practice

Wolfgang Gruber-Glatzl, AEE INTEC

CST technologies for process heat application in industry

Peter Heller, DLR

Bioenergy for industrial heat: five full scale examples

Jaap Koppejan, ProBiomass BV

The Rittershoffen geothermal plant, an illustration of the decarbonization of the food industry 

Guillaume RAVIER, ES-Géothermie

Industrial Heat Pumps: Status & Perspectives 

Benjamin Zühlsdorf, Teknologisk Institut

Watch the video