Process heat is the backbone of industry and accounts for a large proportion of energy consumption. Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich are developing Hyca Heat, a hybrid process heat solution that makes flexible use of electricity, natural gas and hydrogen, thereby reducing emissions and costs.
Process heat accounts for around 50 per cent of industrial energy demand, whilst at the same time it is responsible for around 20 per cent of global CO₂ emissions. To date, renewable energy sources account for only around six per cent of this.
Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich are developing Hyca Heat, a future-proof industrial heating system designed to reduce emissions and costs. The aim is to provide process heat more flexibly and to support the energy transition on the consumer side.
The technology is based on hybrid process heating systems with an intelligent controller. Electricity, natural gas and hydrogen can all be used in a single system. The system automatically switches to the cheapest or lowest-emission energy source available and enables a flexible temperature range of up to 1000 degrees Celsius.
The system is designed to make industrial heat supply more efficient and flexible. In addition to a potential reduction in emissions of up to 100 per cent, the concept also suggests that cost reductions of up to 40 per cent are possible. In this way, Hyca Heat contributes to planning reliability and resilience in industrial energy supply.
Further information: https://hycaheat.com/
Contact: Institute for a sustainable Hydrogen Economy, Henning Hatje (henning.hatje@hycaheat.com)
