Carbon-neutral heat supply strategies for industrial decarbonization: A critical and systematic literature review

Abstract

A substantial body of systematic literature reviews has focused on the topic of industrial decarbonization. However, the decarbonization of industrial heating systems has been hampered by the continued reliance on fossil fuels for industrial heating. Remarkably, at the temperature level of industrial processes, the provision of relatively low-carbon heating is a viable proposition. However, there is a paucity of literature reviews that provide a summary of the carbon neutral heating strategies available for industrial process heat at different temperature levels. To determine the feasibility of providing clean heat at low to high temperature levels, a two-stage systematic literature review of existing research on photovoltaic (PV) and waste-based heating systems was conducted. Notwithstanding the decarbonization potential of PV for clean heating, the temperature of the heat supplied by PV heating systems of all types remains below 100 celsius degree because the efficiency of PV for heating does not offer a significant advantage in relatively high-temperature industrial processes. Conversely, waste incineration-based heating, as a low-carbon fuel, offers the opportunity for high-temperature heat decarbonization in non-energy-intensive industries. Waste incineration-based case studies indicate that the efficiency of waste energy recovery through combined heat and power is more effective than waste incineration power generation. However, studies that provide a well-defined approach to achieving optimal energy efficiency are scarce, despite the notable impact of the distribution ratio of waste incineration steam on the energy recovery efficiency of combined heat and power plants. In addition, most studies have not directly supported the integration of carbon capture and waste incineration to achieve carbon neutrality in heating systems. Finally, after a comprehensive literature review, it can be concluded that the lack of case studies on PV-based industrial heating is at odds with current policies to promote the use of renewable energy sources. Furthermore, there is a noticeable lack of comprehensive research on waste-to-heat cases. To facilitate the advancement of carbon neutrality in the industrial heating sector, this study presents a framework for clean heating that is temperature dependent.