EERA JP Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes presented a white paper on "The Role and Impact of Energy Efficiency in the Decarbonisation of Industry" at the ECEEE Zero Carbon Industry 2024 conference on 31st January in Antwerp.

Increasing energy efficiency is a cost-effective decarbonisation strategy for industrial sectors and a vital aspect of introducing carbon-free value chains. Implementing energy efficiency measures in industries is feasible due to technological maturity, lower costs, and quicker implementation, making it a clean energy solution with fewer biodiversity concerns. While industries using fossil fuels need to accelerate their green transition, challenges in electrification due to solar and wind capacity limitations and network constraints underscore the importance of energy efficiency. Maximizing energy efficiency offers clear benefits by reducing CO2 emissions, enhancing climate resilience, and curbing energy demand, leading to reduced grid constraints, lower renewable capacity needs, and smaller environmental footprints per unit of production. Despite relevant efforts within technology innovation and regulatory frameworks, untapped energy efficiency potential persists.

In such a context, in order to generate more awareness on energy efficiency potentialities, a white paper on the role and impact of energy efficiency was presented. This white paper is a collaborative work by several research organisations and experts across the EU, and targets at audiences of industries, energy service companies and policy makers in the EU, aiming to answer questions regarding the potential of energy efficiency in the decarbonisation of industry, the challenges for the implementation energy efficiency solutions and the optimal pathway to widely roll out energy efficiency solutions in industries.

This white paper outlines the current state of energy use and energy efficiency in industry, the potential for more energy efficient industrial processes and presents methods to increase energy efficiency and several real examples of industrial solutions for improving energy efficiency. The paper also discusses the technical and non-technical barriers and challenges which limit the application of energy efficiency solutions in industries, and accordingly introduces current research advances and new technical solutions to address the challenges, and proposes future actions for policymakers and funding agencies, research and development sectors, and business.

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