On September 7, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released an “Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap” that identifies four key ways to reduce emissions from U.S. manufacturing industries. The roadmap highlights the urgency of significantly reducing carbon emissions and pollution in the industrial sector and proposes a phased programme of research, development and demonstration for industry and government.

The DOE report identifies a path to decarbonizing key parts of U.S. industry and builds on President Biden’s climate plan by announcing $104 million in funding for carbon reduction technologies, including a $62 billion infrastructure bill, as well as $10 billion in clean energy manufacturing tax credits and $5.8 billion for industrial facilities in the Inflation Reduction Act. At the same time, through the construction of new monitoring facilities in communities near industrial facilities.

U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap

Source: “Annual Energy Outlook 2021 and 2050,” U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 3, 2021. Note: The roadmap analysis covers only some chemicals (ammonia, methanol, ethylene, and BTX) and the food and beverage sub-sector.

Primary energy-related CO2 emissions in the United States by economic sector

In 2020, primary energy-related CO2 emissions from the U.S. industrial sector will account for 30 percent, or 1.36 billion tons. From the perspective of the industrial decarbonization roadmap, the focus is on the five sectors with the highest CO2 emissions and the greatest impact on industrial carbon emissions: oil refining, chemicals, steel, cement, and food and beverage. These industries account for approximately 51% of energy-related CO2 emissions in the U.S. industrial sector and 15% of total economy-wide CO2 emissions in the United States.

Chemical Manufacturing: The U.S. chemical manufacturing industry is very diverse and has seen significant growth over the past decade. To help the chemical industry achieve net zero carbon emissions, specific implementation measures include:
1. Develop low-temperature pre-heating solutions and improve the effectiveness of thermal energy use to improve the energy efficiency of the entire system;
2. Expand advanced catalyst and reactor systems to improve reaction performance while reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency;
3. Increase electrification and use hydrogen, biomass or waste as manufacturing fuel and feedstock;
4. Improve material utilization efficiency and increase material recycling.

Petroleum Refining: CO2 emissions from most U.S. refineries come from five large energy-consuming processes, namely hydrocracking, atmospheric distillation, catalytic cracking, steam methane reforming, and regenerative catalytic reforming. These processes represent the most cost-effective development direction for refineries to reduce CO2 emissions. To help achieve the net zero goal, the refining industry can:
1. Improve the process and energy efficiency of on-site steam and power generation;
2. Reduce the carbon footprint of energy and feedstock by introducing low fossil carbon sources such as nuclear heat and electricity, clean electricity, clean hydrogen or biofuels;
3. Capture CO2 for long-term storage or use.

Steel: Steel manufacturing is one of the world’s most energy-intensive industries. The use of coal as feedstock to produce steel through chemical reduction reactions has made the industry one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gases. To help achieve net zero, the steel industry can:
1. Expand industrial electrification and transition to low – and carbon-free fuels;
2. Pilot demonstrations of transformative technologies such as hydrogen steel production, iron ore electrolysis, and carbon capture and utilization storage (CCUS);
3. Improve material utilization rate and increase material recycling;

(Forecast CO2 emissions from the US steel industry 2015-2050)

Food and beverage: The food and beverage industry is an important part of the U.S. economy and one of the largest energy consumers and greenhouse gas emitters in the United States. To help achieve net zero, the food and beverage industry can:
1. Increase energy efficiency through the electrification of the heating, evaporation and sterilization processes of the propulsion process;
2. Reduce food waste throughout the supply chain through the methods identified in the life cycle assessment and collaboration between manufacturers;
3. Pursue recycling and material efficiency through alternative packaging and reduction of packaging waste.

Cement: In the U.S. cement industry, calcination process related CO2 emissions account for approximately 58% of total CO2 emissions, and energy-related CO2 emissions account for 42% of total CO2 emissions. Cement manufacturing requires a lot of heat energy, with heat from the combustion of coal and petroleum coke accounting for about 88 percent of the industry’s total energy consumption. To help achieve the net zero goal, the cement industry can:
1. Improve existing processes to reduce waste, including a circular economy approach for concrete buildings;
2. Improve materials and energy efficiency through the deployment of breakthrough technologies and innovative chemical solutions;
3. Expand the use of CCUS technology;
4. Increase the use of low-carbon bonding materials and natural auxiliary cementing materials to reduce the carbon intensity of clinker and solid materials used to make cement.

(The path to net zero industrial CO2 emissions in the United States)

Strategy for decarbonizing American industry

The roadmap identifies four key technological pillars to significantly reduce emissions from the five sub-sectors studied. By adopting alternative methods, annual CO2 emissions can be reduced by 100%. The cross-cutting pillars of decarbonisation are energy efficiency, industrial electrification, Low carbon fuels, feedstocks and energy, CCUS and others. These pillars apply to all industrial sub-sectors and enable near-term and future reductions as grid GHG emissions intensity is reduced, technologies are developed and difficult-to-reduce sources are addressed.

Energy efficiency: Energy efficiency is a fundamental, cross-cutting decarbonization strategy that is the most cost-effective option for near-term greenhouse gas reductions. Specific implementation paths include:
1. Energy management methods that optimize the performance of industrial processes at the system level;
2. Management and optimization of thermal energy systems from manufacturing process heating, boilers and cogeneration;
3. Smart manufacturing and advanced data analytics to improve energy productivity in the manufacturing process.

Industrial electrification: Advances in low-carbon electricity using the grid and local renewables are essential for decarbonisation efforts. The path to decarbonization includes:
1. Electrify process heat using radiant heating or advanced heat pumps;
2. Electrification of processes in the high temperature range, such as those in steel and cement manufacturing.

Electrochemical processes replace thermal drive processes

Low-carbon fuels, feedstocks and energy sources: Substituting low-carbon and carbon-free fuels and feedstocks can reduce combustion-related emissions from industrial processes. The path to decarbonization includes:
1. Develop flexible fuel processes;
2. Integration of hydrogen fuel and feedstock into industrial applications;
3. Use of biomass fuels and biological raw materials.

Carbon capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) : CCUS refers to a multi-component strategy that captures carbon dioxide produced from point sources and uses the captured CO2 to make value-added products or store it for long periods of time to avoid release. The path to decarbonization includes:
1. Chemical absorption of CO2 after combustion
2. Development and manufacturing optimization of advanced CO2 capture materials to increase efficiency and reduce capture costs
3. Develop processes to make new materials from captured carbon dioxide

Key recommendations of the Industrial decarbonization Roadmap
1. Research and Development: the application of advanced science and technology needed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
2. Invest in multiple process strategies: Continue the parallel path of electrification, energy efficiency, low-carbon fuels, CCUS and alternative methods.
3. Promotion through demonstration projects: reduce the risk of accelerated deployment by testing demonstration platforms.
4. Address process heating: Most industrial emissions come from fuel combustion for heating.
5. Integrated solutions: Focus on the systemic impact of carbon reduction technologies on the supply chain.
6. Conduct modelling/systems analysis: Expand the use of life cycle and technical economic analysis.