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Towards Deep Decarbonisation of Energy-Intensive Industries: A Review of Current Status, Technologies and Policies

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  • Anissa Nurdiawati

    (Department of Industrial Economics and Management, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 114-28 Stockholm, Sweden
    Department of Sustainable Production Development, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 114-28 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Frauke Urban

    (Department of Industrial Economics and Management, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 114-28 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

Industries account for about 30% of total final energy consumption worldwide and about 20% of global CO 2 emissions. While transitions towards renewable energy have occurred in many parts of the world in the energy sectors, the industrial sectors have been lagging behind. Decarbonising the energy-intensive industrial sectors is however important for mitigating emissions leading to climate change. This paper analyses various technological trajectories and key policies for decarbonising energy-intensive industries: steel, mining and minerals, cement, pulp and paper and refinery. Electrification, fuel switching to low carbon fuels together with technological breakthroughs such as fossil-free steel production and CCS are required to bring emissions from energy-intensive industry down to net-zero. A long-term credible carbon price, support for technological development in various parts of the innovation chain, policies for creating markets for low-carbon materials and the right condition for electrification and increased use of biofuels will be essential for a successful transition towards carbon neutrality. The study focuses on Sweden as a reference case, as it is one of the most advanced countries in the decarbonisation of industries. The paper concludes that it may be technically feasible to deep decarbonise energy-intensive industries by 2045, given financial and political support.

Suggested Citation

  • Anissa Nurdiawati & Frauke Urban, 2021. "Towards Deep Decarbonisation of Energy-Intensive Industries: A Review of Current Status, Technologies and Policies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-33, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:9:p:2408-:d:542106
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    5. Lieberwirth, Martin & Hobbie, Hannes, 2022. "Decarbonizing the Industry Sector and its Effect on Electricity Transmission Grid Operation - Implications from a Model Based Analysis for Germany," EconStor Preprints 261839, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    6. Bożena Gajdzik & Radosław Wolniak & Wies Grebski, 2023. "Process of Transformation to Net Zero Steelmaking: Decarbonisation Scenarios Based on the Analysis of the Polish Steel Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-36, April.
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    8. Daniele Dadi & Vito Introna & Miriam Benedetti, 2022. "Decarbonization of Heat through Low-Temperature Waste Heat Recovery: Proposal of a Tool for the Preliminary Evaluation of Technologies in the Industrial Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-28, October.
    9. Vasileios Alevizos & Ilias Georgousis & Anna-Maria Kapodistria, 2023. "Towards Climate Neutrality: A Comprehensive Overview of Sustainable Operations Management, Optimization, and Wastewater Treatment Strategies," Papers 2308.00808, arXiv.org.
    10. Stefan M. Buettner, 2022. "Roadmap to Neutrality—What Foundational Questions Need Answering to Determine One’s Ideal Decarbonisation Strategy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-24, April.

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