Overview
Heavy industry is largely hard to abate, in many cases because of the need for large amounts of high-temperature heat (~600–1400°C). Supplying this heat into a continuously operating plant from variable renewable sources implies a need for some form of thermal energy storage (TES). Economic assessment of the multiple pathways for renewable energy collection, storage and heat delivery is required.
Project Details
This project will initially conduct an options study to compare available sources of high-temperature heat in terms of cost, performance and risk. This will be followed by collection and characterising of a range of integration strategies for renewable heat sources in industrial processes, such as hydrogen burners, electrical resistance heating, and circulation of hot gases generated from thermal storage. Additional TES will be assessed including performance comparison of a range of storage technologies. Scoping assessments will be followed by two case studies. The case studies will focus on optimising the heat collection elements of the system, and developing a robust estimate of the cost and benefits of the selected approach.
Identified Pathways
Technology and methods to manage variable sources of renewable electrical energy within a process
Outcomes
The intended outcome is a consensus view on the relative costs, both near and mid-term, of the major alternatives for high-temperature base-load heat supply from renewable sources, as well as some improved understanding of the role that TES can play in high-temperature industrial process transformation.