Decision support tools for decarbonising and electrifying industrial thermal energy systems 

Chief Investigators

Robert Taylor, UNSW 

Purpose of project

The project is focusing on the food and beverage industry, which uses ~105 PJ (~30 TWh), mostly in the low-grade heat range. Unlike heavy industries, the food and beverage sector is highly fragmented, comprising more than 15,000 manufacturing sites, 98% of which are small-to-medium enterprises. 

These facilities combined typically consume <0.1 PJ/annum of thermal energy (~30 GWh, with 43–75% of their thermal energy currently reliant on gas. The facilities contain varied and complex processes that operate at different temperatures. Decision support tools will help them identify opportunities for decarbonisation without negatively impacting materials flows at each of these facilities. 

This project will develop software modelling tools for analysing the feasibility of decarbonising heat supply for Australian Industry, as well as business models for selling heat as a service  

Impact of project

Decarbonising heat supply is a key challenge in the transition to a zero emission energy supply system. It has been estimated that 24% of all industry heating requirements are for low grade (<150 degrees C) heat. By developing and refining decision support tools and commercial models for zero emission, low grade heat energy supply, this project is building foundations for scaling up solutions to this decarbonisation challenge. 

This project aims to overcome the barriers to commencing a demonstration project. For customers, this initiative translates into actionable strategies that align with their decarbonisation objectives, propelling them towards a greener future. 

Project partners – industry and research

Iberdrola, UNSW