Special Section: The Energy Transition: Previewing the U.S. DOE’s Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap

The July edition of the Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing will feature a commentary on the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap (1), issued in September 2022. The industrial sector is considered among the most difficult to decarbonize, given the heterogeneity of operating conditions and broad range of temperatures and pressures required for process operations. It is responsible for 30% of U.S. direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The roadmap provides a framework for technology pathways needed to achieve net-zero GHG emissions in the industrial sector by 2050. Strategies include improving energy efficiency, electrification of industrial processes to take advantage of low-cost renewable power, use of low-carbon fuels including clean hydrogen and biofuels where electrification is not plausible, and carbon capture and storage. The roadmap examines five key industry sectors as representative of the breadth of challenges encountered in industrial decarbonization.

In parallel with releasing the roadmap, the DOE issued a funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002804) for Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization, allocating up to $104 million for Tier 1 projects at technology readiness levels (TRLs) 4–5, and Tier 2 projects at TRLs 6–7, which include prototype and pilot testing in a relevant operational environment and/or Phase 3 installation and demonstration. Topic areas include chemicals, iron and steel, food and beverage, cement and concrete, paper and forest...