Energy Indicators for Enabling Energy Transition in Industry

Abstract

Energy transition is a fundamental process in the move towards sustainable development, but in industry, it is complicated by the remarkable sectoral heterogeneity. Fostering the realization of energy transition in the industrial sector requires the characterization of its energy dimension, in terms of energy mixes and end-uses as the determinants of transition pathways, and energy solutions and tools as the enablers of this transition paradigm. We observe that the suitability of tools for energy analysis depend on trade-offs between comprehensiveness, ease of use, robustness, and generalization ability. In this regard, we discuss the appropriateness of energy indicators and provide an overview of indicator typologies, methodological issues, and applications for energy performance evaluation and improvement. With reference to the dairy processing industry, selected as a representative industrial branch, we outline current and desirable energy benchmarking applications and exemplify the effectiveness of energy indicators in the quantification of the potential of energy solutions. The obtained results are promising and suggest that researchers should further explore the novel applications of energy indicators for energy performance improvement. To foster the establishment of energy indicators in industrial practice and energy policies, we remark that cooperation between industrial stakeholders is essential.

Electrochemical urea production using carbon dioxide and nitrate: state of the art and perspectives

“…In order to avoid ''false positive'' results of urea formation, isotope-labelled (e.g. 13 C or 15 N) experiments can be performed to produce and verify clear results regarding the source and the mechanism of urea formation. For example, NO x as contaminants are predominantly present in chemicals and in the atmosphere, so it is extremely important to validate and prove that urea produced through the electrocatalysis technique arises due to the reduction reactions of the reactants and not due to the presence of unwanted contaminants.…”

“…NMR is an advanced tool able to not only detect the produced urea and by-products by identifying their signature peaks but also indicate the nitrogen origin as various nitrates are present as common contaminants in the environment. 18 1 H-NMR spectra can help in effectively figuring out the nitrogen origin whereas the 13 C-NMR spectral examination can identify the carbon origin in the produced urea. However, it must be pointed out that the signal-to-noise ratio of an NMR experiment is proportional to B 3/2 0 , where B 0 is the magnetic field.…”

“…This has been demonstrated, for example, by the exponential growth of green H 2 production using water electrolyzers for reducing the emission of sectors such as transportation, energy storage and utilization, steel manufacturing, cement production and other chemical industries. 12,13 H 2 is a critical reagent in the Haber-Bosch process and green H 2 produced through water electrolysis could seamlessly substitute grey hydrogen (from SMR and WGSR), and pave the road for a significant reduction in CO 2 emissions. 3 More recently, electrocatalysis has been used for reducing CO 2 into CO or other valuable commodities.…”

Green Hydrogen Integration for Decarbonization: Solving Challenges in “Hard-to-Abate” Sectors

“…This work sheds light on the critical dimensions necessary for successful coupling, emphasizing the need for a minimum scale to facilitate seamless integration of hydrogen in the hard to abate industrial sector. Currently, individual phases of the process are quite far to reach optimal efficiency 2 levels, posing a challenge to the realization of a fully functional and sustainable hydrogen economy, [5].…”

Renewable Electricity and Green Hydrogen Integration for Decarbonization of “Hard-to-Abate” Industrial Sectors

“…This work sheds light on the critical dimensions necessary for successful coupling, emphasizing the need for a minimum scale to facilitate seamless integration of hydrogen in the hard to abate industrial sector. Currently, individual phases of the process are quite far to reach optimal efficiency levels, posing a challenge to the realization of a fully functional and sustainable hydrogen economy, [5].…”