Energy efficiency in industry: from existing technologies to innovative solutions

Panel: Panel 5. Energy efficiency in industry

Authors:
Laurent Levacher, EDF-R&D-ECLEER (European Center and Laboratories for Energy Efficiency Research), FranceIsabelle Hita, EDF-R&D-EPI- Utilities group, France
Cyril Bethenod, EDF-R&D-EPI-Energy optimisation of Industrial process group, France
Sandrine Hartmann, EDF-R&D-EPI- Industrial sectors survey and assessment group, France

Abstract

The European "20-20-20" climate change package requires strong changes in energy efficiency and CO ₂ emissions.

In Europe, the energy savings potential in industry by using Best Available Technologies (BATs) are estimated at 20% (savings: 31% furnaces and dryers, 26% heat recovery, 14% boilers, 13% industrial buildings) of the baseline energy consumption.

During the last years, only short term solutions have been implemented, furthermore they still have to be applied quicker and stronger:

EDF has installed an Energy Management System in a plant (11 GWh electricity, 7 GWh gas) which allows to follow fluids: electricity, gas, water, steam and compressed air. The annual savings represent 48 K€
Up to 50% of the energy can be saved in clean rooms by combining, when the room is in activity, extraction of calories from exhaust air and free cooling, and when unoccupied, reduction of fresh air inlet and enlarging the temperature and humidity setpoint ranges.

Now new breakthrough solutions are required on industrial processes:

A new Process Energy and Exergy Analysis method permits to identify incremental and radical energy efficiency improvements for SMEs.
Electrical BATs become more and more relevant (especially in case of a low CO ₂ electricity). In France, the size of energy saving potential based on induction is around 3 TWh/year. The new concept of "flexible heat induction" will increase significantly the induction market penetration.
In the food industry and parachemistry, the energy saving potential with MVR and heat pumps amounts to several TWh. New researches in order to the condensation temperature of the heat pump by using a new refrigerant adapted to the compressors will increase the quantity of heat recovered.