🏭 🌡What is process heat at all? It refers to the heat required for technical processes such as drying, melting or forging, as well as waste heat released during processes. Today, the heat required for technical processes still comes predominantly from fossil fuels (i.e., through combustion processes of fossil fuels), which leads to significant CO2 emissions.

❗ Process heat is often a forgotten part on the way to climate neutrality.

Systems for providing heat through solar thermal, (high-temperature) heat pumps, deep geothermal or biomass plants show promising ways to reduce CO2 emissions in process heat. More efficient heat transfer technologies, increased use of waste heat and process optimization are also key components.

Various funding programs are therefore supporting the decarbonization of process heat in industry:

➡ “Bundesförderung Energie- und Ressourceneffizienz“ (EEW-Guideline), BAFA:
o  Module 2: Process heat from renewable energies – up to 65% of investment costs up to €15 million eligible for funding.
o  Module 4: Energy and resource-related optimization of plants and processes – up to 50% of investment costs eligible up to €15 million.
o  Module 6: Electrification of micro and small enterprises – up to 33% of investment costs eligible for funding.

➡ “Decarbonization of Industry Funding Program” (DDI), BMWK:
o Funding for industrial research and experimental development, testing in experimental and pilot plants, and investment in industrial-scale plants – focus on process-related emissions (or emissions reduction), innovative character, and transferability to other Companies.

➡ “Guideline for the promotion of climate-neutral production processes in industry through climate protection contracts”, BMWK:
o  Targeted funding for the establishment & operation of transformative/climate-friendly production processes of large industrial plants in emission-intensive industries.
o A saving of 90% of emissions compared to the previous production process is required, i.e. also CO2 savings in the area of process heat.

At IREES, we have process heat in focus and support the decarbonization of industry, for example, through the “Study on the decarbonization of process heat and process cooling in small and medium-sized enterprises” for the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg: https://irees.de/en/2023/07/27/decarbonisation-process-heating-and-cooling-of-smes/, or through the project “Scientific further development of climate protection contracts for industry”:https://irees.de/en/2021/11/26/scientific-further-development-of-climate-protection-contracts-for-industry/ as well as through the project “WIN4Climate –Heat transition in the industry“: https://irees.de/en/2020/06/12/win4climate-heat-transition-in-the-industry/

IREES-RESEARCH FOR FUTURE 🌍🍃