Industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation via electrification and hydrogen
Decarbonising industrial energy systems requires a process-level understanding of where electrification and hydrogen can replace fossil fuels. However, national statistics typically report fuel use only at the sector level, which limits actionable planning.
We develop a process-level energy allocation framework and apply it to the United Kingdom as a representative industrialised economy. Mapping energy use across devices, end uses, and passive systems shows that direct electrification reduces industrial energy demand by 24% and emissions by 39%. Hydrogen substitution delivers smaller energy savings of 7% and cuts emissions by 27%.
A hybrid pathway that electrifies feasible processes and uses hydrogen where electrification is not possible matches the energy savings of electrification and achieves a 40% reduction in emissions. Prioritising electrification and reserving hydrogen for residual applications provides a robust and scalable route to industrial decarbonisation.
The framework offers a transferable basis for aligning technology deployment with infrastructure and net-zero targets.
Click here to read the full paper by Natanael Bolson, Takuma Watari, Richard Boocock and Jonathan Cullen.
