How Innovations Help Reduce Emissions in the Most Energy-Intensive Industries
We are moving towards a low-carbon future. In accordance with the COP 21, national targets have been set for reducing carbon emissions. A global goal of a 2 ° C reduction cannot be achieved if manufacturers of industrial equipment do not contribute to this process. The time has come for strategic investments in energy efficiency and emission reduction. And this is when modern technologies come into the game.
Organic products and technological innovations not only reduce the negative impact on the environment but also increase the economic and social performance of the company due to reducing costs. Energy-intensive companies actively embrace sustainability education and introduce eco-innovation into the manufacturing process to reduce production time and costs, improve the market position, approve brands, competition, creates breakthroughs, and attract new customers.
Here are the best examples of eco-innovation transforming energy-intensive industries to know about.
Hydrogen Used to Heat Steel
Hydrogen Economy Outlook states that until 2050, in most regions of the world, hydrogen can be produced using solar and wind energy at a price of 0.8 to 1.6 US dollars per kg. This approximately corresponds to current prices for natural gas in energy equivalent ($6–12 per million BTU). Costs may be even lower in countries rich in renewable energy.
Swedish metallurgical company Ovako became one of the first to test this theory. Together with Linde Gas AB, it carried tests on the utilization of hydrogen to heat steel. Tests were held at the Ovako mill, where the traditionally used liquefied petroleum gas was replaced with hydrogen. It was confirmed that the utilization of H2 doesn’t impact the products’ condition.
Energy Islands
The Danish government plans to realize a unique project — “energy islands”, which will become centers for the performance and maintenance of marine wind farms. It is planned to build two centers with a capacity of 2 GW each, one in the North Sea, the other in the Baltic. An artificial island will be created in the North Sea. The country’s Ministry of Energy said that the capacity of this project could be increased over time to 10 GW.
In accordance with the Danish Energy Agreement, by 2030, 100% of Denmark’s electricity consumption should be based on renewable energy sources.
Hydrogen Heating of Homes
Scottish gas delivery network now works on the implementation of a hydrogen heating project for 300 homes. SGN, which provides natural gas to 5.9 million households and companies in Scotland and southern England, intends to launch the H100 Fife project.
SGN states that this is a unique program: for the first time in the world, green hydrogen will be utilized for heating homes. It is a whole area of 300 buildings. Hydrogen will be generated by electrolysis using electricity generated by foreign wind farms, stored centrally, and distributed over the SGN network to households.
Breakthrough in Solar Energy
Heliogen startup, one of whose investors were Bill Gates, announced a breakthrough in the use of solar energy — the creation of a power plant that can generate heat with temperatures above 1 thousand degrees Celsius.
Namely, the company explained that their team created a setup consisting of many mirrors controlled by artificial intelligence. Thanks to the control of AI, the system can with high accuracy change the position of the mirrors focusing the sun’s rays and generate thermal energy in excess of 1 thousand degrees, which is about one-fifth of the temperature on the surface of the Sun. This way, the solution is one of the great examples of how AI helps to promote sustainability.
The breakthrough, in this case, is that for the first time in the history of mankind, concentrated solar energy can be used in the production of cement, steel, glass, and other industrial processes. This “green” technology will be able to replace fossil fuel plants and emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
According to the International Energy Agency, 7% of the total industrial greenhouse gas emissions globally get into the atmosphere due to cement production. Thus, greening this type of production will significantly improve the environmental situation on the planet.
Hydrogen as a Renewable Energy Source
German steel producer ThyssenKrupp prepares a new environmentally-friendly project to decarbonize steel generation. The project also involves the accommodation of spent CO2 managed by Equinor.
ThyssenKrupp is looking for opportunities to provide itself with sufficient volumes of hydrogen to switch to carbon-free steel production in order to grow into a climate-neutral enterprise by 2050. As of today, it uses two strategies to achieve its goals: first of all, it prevents carbon dioxide emissions by blowing hydrogen alternatively to coal dust into blast furnaces and utilizes it to manufacture sponge iron. Secondly, it applies the method of deposition and then processing of domed gases into stable chemicals.
Final Word
Climate change and regulatory measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can significantly affect the activities of many industries, especially energy-intensive industries. In order to recur strong positions on the market and make a profit in these new conditions of the future, oil and gas companies need to review their asset portfolios and opportunities.
