Office: Industrial Technologies Office
Federal Funding: $5.2 Million
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Description
On Oct. 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) announced a $5 million investment in five projects selected in partnership with the Electrified Processes for Industrial Excellence (EPIXC) Institute.
Selected projects will cost-effectively lower emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and expedite industrial decarbonization through the electrification of process heat—the single largest source of industrial emissions. These projects will develop and scale innovative electric heating concepts for chemicals, steel, and cement manufacturing to reduce emissions, improve flexibility, and enhance the energy efficiency of industrial heating using cost-effective solutions. In addition, these projects will address the challenge of integrating these new technologies and processes into existing facilities designed around conventional heating technologies.
Selected Projects
City/State: Tempe, Arizona
Federal Funding: $471,659
Project Lead: Arizona State University
Partners: Electric Power Research Institute, CMC Steel, University of Texas at Austin, Siemens
Description: Arizona State University and its partners will evaluate the transition of three fossil-fuel based heating processes specific to the iron and steel industry to electric-based heating. A systematic analysis will be conducted of heating requirements, appropriate electric heating technology to employ, electric infrastructure required, and an impact assessment on the underlying electric grid; along with technoeconomic, life cycle and greenhouse gas reduction analysis for potential implementation at an operating steel plant. The heating applications to be evaluated include ladle preheaters, Consteel scrap preheating, and a billet reheating furnace. The steps developed in determining these requirements will be generalized and documented to provide a roadmap for future electric conversion of other iron and steel plants and potentially other manufacturing operations.
City/State: Rolla, Missouri
Federal Funding: $1,612,152
Project Lead: Missouri University of Science & Technology
Partners: Tuskegee University, Peaslee Steel Manufacturing Research Center
Description: Missouri University of Science & Technology and its partners will advance an electrified testbed aligned with existing pilot hot rolling facilities to facilitate the demonstration of electrification technologies. In this project, an atmospheric-pressure microwave plasma heating system will be installed to provide process heating for steel manufacturing hot rolling operations. The 100-kilowatt atmospheric-pressure microwave plasma heating system will demonstrate the technology’s capabilities to replace conventional natural gas burner systems used in steel section reheating, and assess the flexibility and adjustability of the atmospheric-pressure microwave plasma system for different heating scenarios. Replacing fossil fuel-based, combustion heating processes with electrified heating technologies in steel manufacturing will reduce industrial sector greenhouse gas emissions.
City/State: Tempe, Arizona
Federal Funding: $1,000,000
Project Lead: Arizona State University
Partners: Missouri University of Science & Technology, University of Texas at Austin, GTI Energy, Ash Grove Cement, The Mosaic Company
Description: Arizona State University and its partners will evaluate electrification of the calcination process in cement manufacturing and potential cement replacement materials. In particular, the project will utilize resistance-based electrical heating in a pilot-scale testbed and assess the use of limestone and clay materials as replacement materials. Researchers will evaluate the calcination kinetics of limestone and clay in the electrified calciner and explore the influence of chemical composition and physical characteristics of the materials and processing conditions through experiments and heat transfer models. Electrification of clay calcination in this study aims to produce a new source of specification-compliant cement replacement material. These approaches can ultimately use less energy than traditional cement manufacturing and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
City/State: College Station, Texas
Federal Funding: $1,000,000
Project Lead: Texas A&M University
Partners: Stanford University
Description: Texas A&M University and its partners aim to electrify the catalytic dehydrogenation of propane. The project will focus on the development and comparative analysis of two classes of electrified reactors, one based on internal radio frequency heating and the other on high-frequency induction heating. Key variables to optimize for each approach include power input level and configuration, conversion and selectivity, and catalyst configuration. The comparative analysis will yield broader insights into the benefits and challenges of different electrified heating methods for high-temperature endothermic reactions and drive techno-economic and life cycle analysis of electrification options. The electrification of similar endothermic reactions is applicable across multiple chemical processing sectors and could result in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
City/State: Austin, Texas
Federal Funding: $1,139,299
Project Lead: University of Texas at Austin
Partners: GTI Energy, Emerson, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Shell
Description: The University of Texas at Austin and its partners will investigate grid synchronized distillation as a new operational strategy for industrial heating, by providing electric heating for reboiler heat in distillation columns. The synchronization approach includes periodic operation of the column – allowing increasing purity (and higher power demand) during periods with high availability of carbon-free electricity and decreasing product purity (and lower power demand) during periods with lower availability. Recent research indicates overall production rates and product quality targets are met using a dynamic process intensification, but with lower energy use. This project expects to attain similar results in a pilot-scale environment. The project also provides a hybrid heating arrangement, with both direct electric heat and steam from an electric boiler, to provide valuable insights on multiple electrified heating pathways.
More Information
- Learn more about partnership with the EPIXC Institute.
- Sign up for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) email list to get notified of new EERE funding opportunities. Also sign up for the Industrial Technologies Office's newsletter to stay current with the latest news.