Annex XV – earlier work

The initial scope of this Annex was concluded in 2015. The reports delivered are listed and available for download at the bottom of this page.

Background

Despite political pressures, energy consumption in the world has increased by over 30% in the last twenty years. Without a change in policy, further increase of thehree tasks use of fossil fuels and the related emission of CO2 is unavoidable in the years to come. Only the development of breakthrough technologies can result in a serious improvement of energy efficiency as required by the energy goals set by the different nations.

Industrial energy use accounts for a third of the total energy used in the society. Hence, activities that promote efficient energy use with low environmental impact will be crucial for the future development, implementation and sustainability of these industrial processes. In energy-intensive basic industries, such as chemicals, petroleum refining, iron and steelmaking, and pulp and paper, energy systems are the backbone of the manufacturing process and crucial to profitability and competitiveness. Changes in the efficiency and environmental performance of critical energy systems can significantly impact the cost of production. The diverse and widespread use of energy systems across industrial sectors creates numerous opportunities for energy efficiency improvements with potentially broad international impacts. Industries and processes are where the greatest potential energy benefits are to be gained.

Description of Annex

The Annex takes on a multi-disciplinary approach to the concept of excess heat recovery integrated in industrial complexes, aiming at the optimization of energy efficiency in global terms. The approach is based on industry needs and application, combining the knowledge of industrial technologies with energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The main objectives of the Annex are:

Provide a global platform for sharing information and undertaking collaborative projects on the state-of-the-art, emerging technologies and research projects for recovery and utilization of excess heat in industry
Identify knowledge, research and technology gaps and provide roadmaps to possibly reduce or close these gaps
Identify technological & non-technological barriers to industrial excess heat recovery and offer feasible solutions to mitigate these issues
Reduce process energy usage (specific energy consumption / energy intensity) by recycling excess heat in industry
Create an information resource on excess heat recovery for industry
Involve industry and communicate progress and results on excess heat recovery to and from industry, government representatives and other appropriate people.