³Ô¹ÏÍø

Decarbonization of industrial processes, where fossil fuel-based energy and carbon-intensive steps are replaced with cleaner alternatives, is essential in modernizing our energy economy. Heavy industry, including steel, cement, chemicals, and refining, accounts for roughly a quarter of global energy consumption. These sectors have historically relied on fossil fuels not just for energy but as chemical feedstocks and process inputs. Transforming these industries offers substantial opportunities for energy efficiency improvements and cost reductions, while enabling them to operate on clean electricity and alternative inputs.

The challenge is significant. Many industrial processes require extremely high temperatures, use fossil fuels as both energy sources and chemical ingredients, and operate in facilities designed decades ago around fossil fuel infrastructure. However, multiple pathways exist for decarbonization, each suited to different industrial contexts and timelines.

RASEI researchers are exploring decarbonization strategies across several fronts, often combining approaches for maximum impact. Some examples include:

Electrification and clean energy integration involves replacing combustion-based heating with electric systems powered by clean electricity. For some processes, this is straightforward—electric heating can replace gas furnaces when temperatures are moderate. For extremely high-temperature applications like steel and cement production, researchers are developing advanced electric heating technologies and exploring how to integrate intermittent clean electricity sources into continuous industrial operations.

Catalytic process improvements can dramatically reduce the energy requirements of chemical manufacturing. By developing more efficient catalysts and reaction pathways, industrial processes that currently require high temperatures and pressures can operate under milder conditions, reducing total energy consumption. RASEI's catalysis research, including electrocatalysis, biocatalysis, and photocatalysis work, enables entirely new routes to producing chemicals and materials that can bypass fossil fuel inputs altogether.

Alternative fuels and feedstocks provide options for processes that are difficult to fully electrify. Hydrogen produced using clean electricity can replace fossil fuels in high-temperature applications and serve as a chemical feedstock for processes that currently use natural gas or petroleum. Researchers are also exploring bio-based feedstocks as alternatives to petroleum-derived inputs in chemical manufacturing.

Advanced materials substitution addresses carbon-intensive products themselves. Cement production, for example, is extremely energy-intensive and inherently produces carbon dioxide as part of the chemical process. RASEI teams are investigating bio-manufactured building materials that require less energy to produce while maintaining structural performance. Similarly, research into advanced materials can reduce the total amount of energy-intensive materials needed for construction and manufacturing.

The decarbonization of industrial processes isn't a single solution but rather a portfolio of approaches tailored to the needs of different applications. By working across electrification, catalysis, alternative fuels, and materials innovation, RASEI research aims to provide practical pathways for industries to reduce their fossil fuel dependence, lower their energy costs, and operate more efficiently. Some solutions can be retrofitted into existing facilities, while others inform the design of next-generation industrial plants built around clean energy from the ground up.