Opportunities for Sustainable Heat in Chemical Processing

Join the January 2026 AIChE Virtual Local Section (VLS) Webinar to learn about Concentrated Solar Energy to provide high quality heat for industrial processes.

Opportunities for Sustainable Heat in Chemical Processing

Although the chemical process industry already values energy efficiency, it remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels.  Renewable energy must displace fossil fuels to decarbonize.  However, there are inherent challenges to resolve the 24/7 nature of chemical processing with the intermittent nature of renewables like wind and solar.   Recently, there has been substantial work in concentrated solar energy, which, beyond power generation, could also provide high quality heat for industrial processes.  This talk will highlight recent developments in both solar thermochemistry and thermochemical energy storage which could have application in decarbonization of chemical manufacturing.

Presented by: Dr. Nicholas AuYeung

Dr. Nick AuYeung received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Oregon State University after earning as BS in Chemical Engineering from UConn.  He worked as a postdoc at the University of Florida in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on the topic of solar thermochemical fuel production.  He currently leads an energy-focused research group and teaches in the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University and is active in both AIChE and ASME.