The CO 2 reduction potential for the European industry via direct electrification of heat supply (power-to-heat)
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Abstract The decarbonisation of industry is a bottleneck for the EU’s 2050 target of climate neutrality. Replacing fossil fuels with low-carbon electricity is at the core of this challenge; however, the aggregate electrification potential and resulting system-wide CO 2 reductions for diverse industrial processes are unknown. Here, we present the results from a comprehensive bottom-up analysis of the energy use in 11 industrial sectors (accounting for 92% of Europe’s industry CO 2 emissions), and estimate the technological potential for industry electrification in three stages. Seventy-eight per cent of the energy demand is electrifiable with technologies that are already established, while 99% electrification can be achieved with the addition of technologies currently under development. Such a deep electrification reduces CO 2 emissions already based on the carbon intensity of today’s electricity (∼300 gCO 2 kWh el −1 ). With an increasing decarbonisation of the power sector IEA: 12 gCO 2 kWh el −1 in 2050), electrification could cut CO 2 emissions by 78%, and almost entirely abate the energy-related CO 2 emissions, reducing the industry bottleneck to only residual process emissions. Despite its decarbonisation potential, the extent to which direct electrification will be deployed in industry remains uncertain and depends on the relative cost of electric technologies compared to other low-carbon options.
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Established technologies for electrifying high-temperature operations, like calcination in spodumene-based lithium hydroxide production (1,200 C), include resistance furnaces and electric arc furnaces.
“Established technologies for electrifying hightemperature operations, like calcination in spodumene-based lithium hydroxide production (1,200 C), include resistance furnaces and electric arc furnaces. 58”
From Decarbonizing lithium-ion battery primary raw materials supply chain (2024) · cites this paper as [58]
Almost 80% of industrial heat demand is electrifiable with current technologies.
“almost 80% of industrial heat demand electrifiable with current technologies. 58”
From Decarbonizing lithium-ion battery primary raw materials supply chain (2024) · cites this paper as [58]
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- Authors
- Madeddu, S., Ueckerdt, F., Pehl, M., Peterseim, J., Lord, M., Kumar, K. A., Krüger, C., & Luderer, G.
- Affiliations
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (DE)
- University of Technology Sydney (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Technische Universität Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Madeddu, Silvia
- Venue
- Environmental Research Letters
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Published
- 2020-11-25
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 124004
- ISSN
- 1748-9326 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3090809821
- Cited by
- 295
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 71 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 9.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Research Letters (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Publication Database PIK (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- RENATE (cc-by)
- Funders
- Australian Department of Foreign Affairs of Trade and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (START Project)
- H2020 (NAVIGATE (821124))
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Integrated Energy Systems Optimization
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Energy Efficiency and Management
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Iron and Steelmaking Processes
- Keywords
- industrial electrification, power-to-heat, industrial decarbonization, CO2 emission reduction, industrial energy demand, low-carbon electricity, carbon intensity of electricity, process emissions, European industry, climate neutrality
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