134 VIEWPOINT Why digitalisation and electrification are key to net-zero industries OLIVIER BLUM: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC The industrial sector must invest in digital technologies, electrify processes and find ways to reduce energy waste to navigate a successful path to a decarbonised future Did you know that the industrial sector alone produces a quarter of all global emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)? Hard-to-abate sectors, such as the chemicals, steel and cement industries, are responsible for most of this. Not only are they heavily reliant on fossil fuels, but they often involve wasteful processes built on outdated technology – leading to inefficient and often expensive operations. The 2023 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that if we do not take action and instead stay on the current trajectory, we are likely to “overshoot” the Paris Agreement target to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial times in the coming decades. Businesses in the heavy industries have realised they must act fast, so it is little wonder that the topic of decarbonisation dominated the conversation at Hannover Messe in April 2023. The general consensus is clear: the industrial sectors must do more to reduce their energy consumption and emissions if we are to build a more sustainable industrial future – and address the current energy crisis at the same time. They must eliminate energy waste, embrace electrification, and use digital technologies to manage this change. We already have the tools and know-how, so now we must find a way to deploy them more quickly and at a greater scale. The first step to achieving this goal is to embrace digital technologies more fully to help with everything from automating processes, to simulating production scenarios and training people remotely. Businesses can also increase end-to-end efficiency by using digital technologies to more effectively analyse operational data. Electrification will also be key to industrial decarbonisation. According to the IEA, only 21 per cent of industry’s energy is currently electrified but transitioning more activity to electric-powered equipment would drive both significant energy efficiency gains and emissions reductions. For example, we could use electric motors instead of steam turbines, heat pumps rather than reboilers or condensers, or electric heating in place of steam or fossil-fuel-powered heat. An industrial heat pump, for instance, can reduce energy intensity for steam production by up to 90 per cent. In addition, the industrial built environment can be digitalised, connected and integrated into energy management software systems to help measure and control energy-intensive electrical loads, while decreasing Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions. “ They must eliminate energy waste, embrace electrification, and use digital technologies to manage this change”
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