Decarbonisation is the priority for publicly traded manufacturing companies to attract investment from ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) Funds. Supplying heat to the manufacturing process has the largest carbon emission impact with the greatest technical and economic challenge to decarbonise. How and when to switch industrial heating processes fired on fossil fuels to low carbon technologies requires a road map towards Net Zero Carbon Emissions.
Planning the decarbonisation of heat requires the development and integration of low carbon technologies into the manufacturing process supported by a capital investment programme. Low carbon decarbonisation solutions range in commercial availability. Knowledge and experience of the development and of technologies and their commercial availability is key to starting a Heat Decarbonisation Road Map. The TRL (Technology Ready Levels) of solutions range from the highest of 9 for the established solutions of Waste Heat Recovery and the firing of Waste Derived Fuels, to the lower levels requiring the demonstration of Industrial Electric Heat Pumps, to the proof of concept, Hydrogen fired burners required for kilns and furnaces.
Heatcatcher has supported organisations with Heat Decarbonisation studies reporting on implementation technologies, their reductions in carbon emissions and the required capital investment programme. Capital Investment programmes can gain support with funds available from the UK Governments Net Zero Innovation Portfolio of competitions Net Zero Innovation Portfolio - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) running from 2021 to 2025.
From October 2021 support for accelerating the readiness of heat decarbonisation technologies opens with Industrial Fuel Switching competition Industrial Fuel Switching competition: scope of competition - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . The £55m fund supports feasibility studies from £50,000 to £300,000 and demonstration projects from £1m to £6m. Heatcatcher has supported many of its industrial customers with successful grant applications under previous NZIP competitions, please get in touch if you need support on your Heat Decarbonisation journey.