BOILERS, PUMPS & VALVES I
n order to limit the devastating effects of global warming and climate change, the UK has legally committed to reaching net zero by 2050, meaning that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be equal to the emissions removed from the atmosphere. Industry is responsible for 13.7 per cent of GHG emissions in the UK and, whilst strides have been made to reduce emissions, with 50 per cent of industrial energy consumption still provided by fossil fuels, there’s a long way to go. The government’s Review of Energy Policy 2024 acknowledges that a comprehensive industrial strategy needs to be developed, with a strong focus on decarbonisation.
THE DECARBONISATION PILLARS So how do we decarbonise industry? There are six pillars at the heart of decarbonisation:
Circular economy Renewables
Grid infrastructure Energy efficiency Sustainable mobility Energy communities
To decarbonise across all these pillars, we have to move from fossil fuels to electric primarily, with biofuel and hydrogen forming part of the mix. We also need to invest in carbon capture, utilisation, and storage, especially for mitigating emissions in sectors with limited alternatives (e.g. cement production), and we need to digitise our processes. The latter will enable us to enhance data processing for efficiency gains, faster problem-solving, predictive maintenance, and even virtual testing of solutions.
ENERGY TRANSITION SOLUTIONS FOR INDUSTRY
As a major international supplier of boiler rooms and associated equipment, operating in more than 13 countries, Babcock Wanson Group has become a major player when it comes to energy transition, offering increasingly carbon-free heat production solutions for industry. Babcock Wanson’s ambition is to enable customers to reduce their fossil fuel consumption and achieve their targets for reducing their environmental footprint. Babcock Wanson has identified four major energy transition opportunities available now for industry to consider in its drive to improved sustainability:
1. Decarbonisation
Alternative solutions to the use of fossil fuels in steam and hot water production are readily available. Electrification is by far the most popular and practical means of decarbonising. In light industry, heat pumps, electric resistance heaters and electrode boilers offer an efficient means for both direct and
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FOUR OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY
By Etienne Fourie, technical sales manager, Babcock Wanson
indirect heating. Babcock Wanson has developed a full range of energy-efficient low and high voltage electric boilers that provide precise temperature control. In hard to abate sectors, due to the high temperature heat requirements and the necessity to adapt heating technologies to cater to specific applications, solutions are sadly not as straightforward. However, across all industries, electricity costs and
infrastructure are the main stumbling blocks in achieving electrification. Hybrid solutions that allow customers to use the best available energy source at any given time could be one way forward here.
Combustion solutions based on renewable energy such as hydrogen, biogas and oxycombustion are also on the table for consideration. Hydrogen may be necessary as part of the decarbonisation pathway for
Summer 2025 UKManufacturing
INDUSTRIAL PROCESS HEATING:
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