Decarbonization of Energy Operations for Hard-to-Abate Industries Through Smart Energy System Optimization

Abstract

Hard-to-abate industries such as cement, steel, and chemical production are major contributors to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to its energy intensive and hard-to-abate nature. The high-temperature process during the conversion of limestone into clinker in cement production results in significant process emissions. To achieve net-zero emission target, the industries are exploring various strategies, including reducing indirect emissions by using renewable energy, improving energy efficiency through waste heat recovery, adopting alternative low carbon fuels, and implementing carbon capture units. In this paper, a multiperiod mixed-integer linear programming model that integrates the aforementioned strategies is formulated to investigate their interaction in smart energy system. The smart energy system involves renewable energy, storage, waste heat recovery, and combined heat and power units. Two scenarios under one case study have been conducted. The first focuses on the technology selection under scenarios with different cement production scales whereas the second concentrates on the effect of energy storage in smart energy storage and CO2 emission reduction plans in the cement industry. The developed mathematical model can choose to either use alternative low carbon fuels to replace fossil fuels in kilns or implement a carbon capture unit as the CO2 emission reduction plan. Optimization is carried out to minimize the total annualized cost for both scenarios. The findings indicate that by implementing the proposed smart energy system with the lowest total annualized cost, the cement industry has the potential to achieve a reduction of up to 20% in CO2 emissions. Further reduction in CO2 emissions requires the implementation of carbon capture unit.

To read the full paper, please click: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41660-025-00494-y