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Activity : Animation de la filière

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Areas of expertise : Decarbonisation at a glance

Activity : Animation de la filière

Description :

Areas of expertise : Energy Efficiency

Activity : Études pour les adhérents

Description :

Energy efficiency is a major driver of industrial decarbonisation, but investment remains insufficient to meet emission reduction targets.

This situation can be explained in part by the incomplete valuation of projects, which is often limited to energy savings and CO₂ emission reductions alone, without taking into account their contribution to industrial performance and competitiveness.

However, energy efficiency projects also generate numerous non-energy benefits (NEB) — such as lower maintenance costs, improved productivity and comfort — which are still rarely factored into investment decisions due to a lack of data, appropriate methods and skills to quantify them.

In this context, the study conducted by ALLICE aims to raise awareness of NEBs among its members and to identify the obstacles and levers for their integration into investment decisions.

The study will focus on identifying and characterising NEBs, applying the MBENEFITS methodology to two real industrial cases (Cooperl and Thyssenkrupp), and formulating best practices and recommendations to better leverage these benefits in energy efficiency projects.

Areas of expertise : Business models and financing

Activity : Études pour les adhérents

Description : Electric furnaces are a key means of decarbonising industry, and their technology is becoming increasingly mature. They offer significant advantages in terms of reducing CO₂ and pollutant emissions, improving energy efficiency and operational flexibility, and reducing maintenance requirements.

However, the deployment of high-temperature electric furnaces is currently limited by several major obstacles, including high investment costs, the difficulty of adapting industrial processes, and the lack of a stable economic framework to secure long-term projects.

This study aims to identify solutions for the electrification of high-temperature furnaces, as well as analysing the conditions for their industrial deployment.

The study covers an inventory of fossil fuel technologies and their electrical alternatives in several key sectors, such as steel, metallurgy, cement, glass and ceramics. It also analyses the European and global markets and identifies levers for development, particularly issues relating to connection to the electricity grid.

Successful deployment depends on the coordinated mobilisation of all relevant stakeholders: public authorities, manufacturers, trade associations, furnace manufacturers, engineering firms and energy companies. Targeted support is required for pioneering projects.

The study analyses three main technologies — arc furnaces, resistance furnaces and induction furnaces — which vary in maturity according to their uses, but offer strong potential for decarbonisation. Technological advances and standardised solutions are essential to reduce costs, secure investments, and help achieve the SNBC's climate objectives.

 

Areas of expertise : Integration of alternative energies

Activity : Animation de la filière

Description :

Areas of expertise : Energy Efficiency

Activity : Études pour les adhérents

Description :

This study focuses on decarbonising drying and cooking processes. It is a direct follow-up to another ALLICE study of the same name. Three types of decarbonisation solutions are examined: energy efficiency, electrification and the use of renewable and recovered energy sources. The study aims to examine the application of these solutions in three case studies and compare the energy, economic and environmental results up to 2050.

The applications studied are glass annealing lehrs, metallurgical tempering furnaces and starch drying systems. An initial energy efficiency solution has been implemented for all three cases. This is considered a prerequisite for the use of carbon-free energy. It is widely accepted that carbon-free energy can only become widespread if energy consumption is reduced. Based on this initial development, several alternative energy solutions are then studied on a case-by-case basis : hybridisation, electrification, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and biomass.

Overall, two trends emerge from all the case studies.

• Firstly, energy efficiency consistently ranks as one of the most economically attractive solutions. This is only challenged by electrification solutions offering additional benefits or renewable energy sources at highly competitive prices, such as geothermal energy.
• Secondly, electrification is consistently one of the solutions offering the greatest reduction in CO₂ emissions. However, it often generates the least profitable returns. At the same time, there are often renewable energy solutions with a similar impact on GHG emissions that are more economically attractive.
  
  This study shows that all solutions can significantly reduce GHG emissions. To further reduce GHG emissions linked to certain processes or specific cases, CCUS solutions may be necessary (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage). Finally, it is important to consider the other environmental impacts of the processes, particularly with regard to water usage.

Areas of expertise : Decarbonisation at a glance

Activity : Veille

Description :

Areas of expertise : Decarbonisation at a glance

Activity : Veille

Description :

Areas of expertise : Decarbonisation at a glance

Activity : Animation de la filière

Description :

Areas of expertise : Decarbonisation at a glance

Activity : Veille

Description : The maximum theoretical potential for electrification is 29% by 2035. Other decarbonisation solutions must therefore be considered, and the integration of decarbonised gas appears to be a strategic and complementary alternative when electrification is not relevant. In this context, a sharp increase in the consumption of decarbonised gases in industry is expected, particularly for certain very high-temperature processes, especially in the terracotta and steel sectors. Feedback on the integration of decarbonised gases in industrial processes is already available.

In the future, the place of each of these gases and their level of penetration will depend on the evolution of the production sectors, the level of support for these sectors, as well as the technological choices made for each of the other French energy uses. For example, boilers will be able to more easily accept raw gases such as biogas or syngas. On the other hand, the use of decarbonised gases in ovens is more complex, but there is greater interest in their use for cooking.

Areas of expertise : Decarbonisation at a glance