Decarbonisation of industry is a crucial step to ensuring the European Union’s climate targets. However, the industrial transition to net-zero can be challenging as it should also ensure EU competitiveness, optimise costs and resources, and prevent carbon leakage. In this context, what are important elements to keep in mind?
And how does a granular approach towards 24/7 Carbon Free Energy (CFE) impact electricity grids? Learn more in our new factsheet!
Ensuring European decarbonisation targets for 2050 will require a coordinated approach between different sectors. In this process, Industry plays a major role as the backbone of the European economy, while being a major source of emmissions. Directly providing 35 million jobs and 20% of EU’s total added value, the European industry offers several socio-economic benefits for society.
At the same time, the industry sector is accountable for major greenhouse gases’ emmissions. According to the European Commission, in 2022, the manufacturing industry and the supply of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning, accounted for the highest GHG emmissions per sector in the EU – both accounting for 745 million tonnes of CO2-eq, representing 21% of total emitted GHG.
The need for industrial decarbonisation is clear. However, reaching a net-zero industry also provides challenges on ensuring EU competitiveness, optimising costs and resources, and preventing carbon leakage. In particular, although industrial decarbonisation strategies can vary in terms of ambition and technologies, electricity grids play an important role to a range of key strategies – being essential for direct electrification, flexibility, demand-side response as well and green hydrogen production.
In this context, 24/7 Carbon Free Energy provides a framework for energy-intensive consumers to procure energy through a granular approach in terms of time and space – allowing for transparency and for the needed infrastructure to be properly considered.
Taking into account the importance of these three elements, RGI hosted the Expert Workshop “Industry in Transition – The role of electricity grids in decarbonising European industry” on November 2023. During the event, different experts – including representatives of Transmission System Operators, NGOs, governments, research and innovation centres – shared their insights on the pivotal role of electricity grids in supporting the decarbonisation of European industry.
The outcomes of this discussion is summarised in the below Factsheet, providing important insights into the relationship between these three topics – industrial decarbonisation, electricity grids and 24/7 CFE.
contact
Nathália Pimentel
nathalia@renewables-grid.euManager – Communication & Energy Systems
Alexandros Fakas Kakouris
alexandros[at]renewables-grid.euSenior Manager – Energy and Policy Systems
Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
andrzej@renewables-grid.euDirector – Energy Systems
Nathália Pimentel
nathalia@renewables-grid.euManager – Communication & Energy Systems
Alexandros Fakas Kakouris
alexandros[at]renewables-grid.euSenior Manager – Energy and Policy Systems
Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
andrzej@renewables-grid.euDirector – Energy Systems
