Thermal Energy Storage (TES) will play a pivotal role in decarbonising industries process in Europe, according to the new analysis on “Industrial Thermal Energy Storage – Supporting the transition to decarbonise industry” published by the EERA - The European Energy Research Alliance.
On the way towards carbon neutrality settled by the Paris Agreement for the 2050 Net Zero goal, European Union Countries need to revolutionise their industrial energy system. Starting from thermal energy demand - nowadays accounting for 80% of the total industrial energy consumption - could be a crucial game-changer for an actual integration of renewables in future industrial energy system conversion.
TES - Thermal Energy Storage can be a strategical choice
The current industrial heating technologies are mainly reliant on fossil fuels. Gas, oil, coal used for industrial thermal processes leads to an estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of 513 Mt CO2 equivalent per year, 12% of total GHG emissions. A shift is necessary and TES – Thermal Energy Storage can be a strategical choice as energy source for heating with a long list of benefits, such as:
- assisting in the decarbonisation of industrial energy supply
- facilitating energy flexibility and security
- catalysing an increase in the proportion of renewable energy storage
- storing cheap electricity as thermal energy
- easing surplus heat recovery
- decoupling energy supply and demand for smart energy usage
- maintaining electricity grid stability
With a potential of 1793 TWh fossil fuel replacement by renewable energy and/or surplus heat and a GHG reduction of 513 Mt CO2 equivalent per year in EU industrial sector.
In the report, EERA also illustrates several classes of application of TES - Thermal Energy Storage in future, fossil-free industries, with an active role in a renewables based power system. A very promising scenario.
Despite this wide array of advantages, EERA’s white paper highlights that, until now, working for a more aware recognition of the role of TES - Thermal Energy Storage in industrial application is a priority, as well as sharing data and best practices to industry and policy makers, developing a policy framework to deploy a portfolio of TES - Thermal Energy Storage options and providing support to targeted Research and Development programmes for TES technologies to address the identified technical barriers at regional, national and EU levels.
Today we can already count on a wide range of TES - Thermal Energy Storage technologies suitable for a number of different industrial needs. MGTES – Magaldi Green Thermal Energy Storage – the first worldwide patented energy storage system based on a fluidized sand bed, powered exclusively by renewable energy - is one of these new TES innovations ready for energy-intensive industries transition.
To discover more about MGTES – Magaldi Green Thermal Energy storage ask for more information here
