Industrial Prosumerism: Integrating RES Systems
The decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries (EIIs) – including sectors such as refining, steel, cement, and chemicals – is essential to achieve the EU’s climate-neutrality by 2050. Facing high thermal and electrical loads and substantial process-related CO₂ emissions, these sectors must leverage renewable energy sources (RES) and electrification to curb both direct and indirect emissions.
This study develops a bottom-up modelling framework to identify cost-optimal RES deployment strategies for industrial sites. The approach reconciles detailed plant-level data with top-down energy projections to ensure alignment with EU decarbonisation trajectories. We evaluate a spectrum of interventions, such as the procurement of grid-based renewable electricity and the deployment of dedicated generation assets and assess enabling technologies such as battery storage.
A representative EU refinery case study demonstrates the application of the methodology developed. The analysis quantifies emissions reductions, cost implications, and grid impacts for various pathways, including scenarios where facilities can operate as prosumers by exporting surplus power. The result is a data-driven, site-specific decarbonisation roadmap that highlights the trade-offs between energy resilience, system-wide optimisation, and economic viability, providing useful insights for industry and policymakers.
ZEKA-PASCHOU Maria;
2026-02-26
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC143566
978-92-68-36585-4 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40622,
OP KJ-01-26-046-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC143566,
10.2760/1361086 (online),
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