transform.industry

Austrian industry is on the cusp of a sustainable revolution. With the ambitious goal of achieving complete climate neutrality by 2040, the transformation towards environmentally friendly production is gaining momentum. The pioneering study "transform.industry - transformation paths for a climate-neutral industry 2040 in Austria", commissioned by the Climate and Energy Fund and carried out by the Austrian Energy Agency in cooperation with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the University of Leoben and the Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, sheds light on the path to this sustainable future. The study not only shows the urgency of the transformation due to the high energy demand of industry, more than half of which was covered by fossil sources, but also offers concrete solutions and recommendations for action for a large number of industrial sectors.

The study presents four scenarios that explore the scope of possibilities for a climate-neutral industry:

1. Green energy supply: In the first scenario, much remains the same, except for the energy source: 100% green electricity and renewable gases, particularly methane and hydrogen, are to power the industry. This would require 70 TWh of renewable gases in 2040. However, this is not the most efficient solution, as the study shows.

2. Circular economy: The second scenario is characterised by a significant increase in material efficiency and recycling rates. By reducing the need for basic material production, 59 TWh of renewable gases could supply industry - an important step towards sustainability.

3. Technological innovation: The third scenario is characterised by advanced technologies and a strong integration of value chains within companies. This requires 55 TWh of renewable gases, a significant proportion of which must be hydrogen to enable innovative processes such as direct hydrogen reduction in steel production.

4. Sector coupling: The fourth path optimises energy consumption by intelligently linking different sectors, with technologies such as heat pumps playing a central role. The required quantities of renewable gases are similar to those of the innovation scenario, with a strong focus on hydrogen.

Key findings and recommendations for action as well as further information and downloads can be found here:

hypa.at

Climate and Energy Fund

Client / Funding organisation	Energy Research 2020
Project management	Andreas Indinger
Project team	Martin Baumann Christoph Dolna-Gruber Bernhard Felber
Project partners	AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (coordinator) University of Leoben Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler University Linz
Project duration	October 2021 to July 2023