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The aim of this study is to provide a detailed overview of the current state of the art in ventilation solutions, with a particular focus on the energy performance of these systems. It concentrates on the industrial sector, specifically industrial premises where manufacturing processes that may emit specific pollutants take place.

The primary function of a ventilation system is to ensure that working environments are kept clean and that pollutants are treated before being released into the atmosphere, in accordance with current regulations. A ventilation system consists of various components which account for a significant amount of energy consumption for industrial operators.

A review of the extensive existing literature on ventilation has shown that this health and hygiene function is addressed in good practice guides and best practice guidelines. However, few studies specifically address the energy efficiency of ventilation systems.

This review of the current state of the art therefore aims to examine each component of a ventilation system from the perspective of energy efficiency: the air intake system, the ductwork, the air purification system, the control system and, finally, the fan.

The concepts of industrial and territorial ecology (ITE) and eco-parks are very similar, with the latter being more commonly used in scientific literature. Both are at the heart of the same drive to reduce the environmental impact of industrial activities whilst, at the same time, increasing their profitability. In France, ADEME runs a network to promote the concept of ITE, which is beginning to take firm root across the country. To date, 107 initiatives have been analysed in France, 18 of which have led to tangible synergies.

To organise these collaborative initiatives, which may lead to the creation of eco-parks, we identify various possible levels of collaboration within an industrial estate:

  1. Information sharing
  2. Sharing of services (analytics, security, IT, social services, etc.)
  3. Waste management or recycling, and the creation of public utility networks.
  4. The exchange of by-products or material streams

This review of the current state of the art examines the French context regarding eco-parks, detailing their initiation and governance processes, as well as the various methods of data collection and analysis that have enabled their development. It also presents an analysis of six French industrial parks classified at levels 3 and 4.

France has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. One of the ways to achieve this objective is through better utilisation of the waste heat released by industry during the manufacturing stages of products. A study carried out by ADEME in 2017 identified a considerable source of energy lost in the form of heat – this energy being generated by manufacturing processes.

It appears that a large proportion of this heat has the advantage of already being channelled (via a flue) out of thermal processes before being released into the atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, it is therefore possible to capture this ‘free’ energy just before it is dissipated into the atmosphere – particularly as the high temperature, generally above 200 °C, allows for a wide range of heat recovery technologies. From a market perspective, these solutions are still under-utilised – particularly amongst small and medium-sized enterprises.

The aim is therefore to raise awareness of the heat recovery technologies available to manufacturers and to help remove the many barriers to implementation and investment that still exist: a lack of awareness of the available technologies, energy and decarbonisation challenges, and even the funding options available, as well as manufacturers’ concerns about the long-term viability of the installations.

The study comprised three parts.

The study focused on mature technologies (TRL 7) that are commercially available to manufacturers.

Following on from the 2019 ALLICE Technologies report on the state of the art (advances and alternatives) in refrigeration, the objectives of this study are:

This state-of-the-art study, led by ALLICE, aims to examine the technologies available to manufacturers for converting industrial waste heat into electricity when there is no possibility of utilising it directly.

It lists the various technologies available, examines their advantages and disadvantages, and provides a summary table. 

Each technology has its own preferred applications and sectors, depending on the level of waste heat available and the required electrical power.

Heat pumps offer numerous advantages over competing technologies: the recovery of waste heat, high energy efficiency, and relatively low CO₂ emissions during operation. They are already part of a move towards the electrification of low- and even medium-temperature industrial thermal processes (typically between 60 and 90°C), and more generally towards the decarbonisation of industry. Furthermore, the price ratio between electricity and fossil fuels in France is generally favourable to the development of heat pumps in industrial settings.

Thanks to the latest technological advances, manufacturers are now able to offer Very High Temperature Heat Pumps (VHT Heat Pumps), which provide useful heat at temperatures in excess of 100°C for the production of hot air, steam or superheated water.

The aim of this market intelligence report is to provide an overview of high-temperature heat pump models capable of meeting the heating needs of industry:

Accounting for 18 per cent of national CO₂eq emissions, industry is one of the main sectors responsible for GHG emissions and faces significant decarbonisation challenges. According to the National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC), this sector must reduce its emissions by 35 per cent by 2030 compared with 2015, and by 81 per cent by 2050. To achieve these targets, it is essential to make the industrial energy mix greener, particularly its thermal processes. Thermal energy use in industry currently accounts for 258 TWh of annual consumption, of which 240 TWh is non-electric consumption, and is mainly divided between furnaces (61 per cent) and drying processes (27 per cent).

One promising solution for decarbonising these processes lies in the use of carbon-free gases, which serve as alternative energy carriers to fossil fuels.

This study reports on initial feedback and technologies currently under development for the use of biogas, biomethane, hydrogen, syngas, methane from power-to-gas and pyrogasification in industrial thermal processes. The potential for these low-carbon gases to penetrate the industrial sector has been analysed using a range of criteria: reduction in carbon footprint, availability, stability, economic competitiveness, ease of technical integration, trends in energy and CO₂ prices, and so on. Specific sections focus on particular sectors and applications.

Co-funded by ADEME, this study is the subject of a detailed public summary, which can be found below under ‘Summary’.

As part of its work to support innovation and energy efficiency in industry, ALLICE sought to inform its members about the potential for electrification of various industrial thermal processes and the competitiveness of the electric solutions available across different sectors.

In 2021, CETIAT and CETIM carried out an initial study on behalf of ALLICE into the potential for the electrification of thermal processes (the ‘PEP 1’), which analysed the technical, economic and operational potential of switching to electric power at the level of an industrial site, as well as areas for innovation in electrification.

To complement the PEP 1 study, ALLICE commissioned Enea Consulting to carry out a second study (‘PEP 2 study’), of which this report is a summary. The aim of the PEP 2 study is to broaden the scope of the PEP 1 study to the national level in order to provide an overview of the potential for electrification across various industrial sectors by 2035, as well as a critical analysis of the underlying trends in electrification, particularly in relation to the long-term dynamics of the energy markets.

The study consists of three parts:

  1. Calculation of the maximum technical and economic potential for the electrification of industrial processes in France by 2035;
  2. Assessment of the impact of long-term trends in energy and CO₂ market prices on the potential for electrification, based on three pricing scenarios;
  3. Feasibility analysis of industrial electrification for the mainland France electricity grid and its externalities

Co-funded by ADEME, this study is the subject of a detailed public summary, which can be found below (click the ‘Summary’ download button):

Heat accounts for more than half of France’s energy consumption and is therefore a crucial factor in reducing CO₂ emissions and optimising energy use, particularly through waste heat recovery technologies.

Heat storage is an essential component for ensuring that thermal energy is transferred as efficiently as possible when heat generation (the source) is not synchronised with potential heat consumption (the sink).

Whilst thermal storage technologies are already relatively well established in the energy generation sector and district heating networks, particularly for smoothing out thermal demand, they are, however, still not widely used in industrial activities, even though the potential for recovering waste heat from thermal processes is high and their use represents a significant challenge.

Driven by public policies providing financial support, there is growing interest amongst manufacturers in waste heat recovery. In this context, it is essential that storage technologies are publicised and their use is fully understood. The proposed study, conducted by CETIAT in collaboration with CEA Liten for the first phase of technology monitoring, is therefore intended to promote the uptake of thermal storage systems in the industrial sector.

Against the current backdrop of decarbonisation in French industry, the electrification of industrial processes is one of the solutions to be considered, given the specific nature of France’s energy mix. In its National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC), France has set itself the target of achieving an overall electrification rate of 70 per cent across its industry by 2050 (final energy). Against this backdrop, ALLICE sought to provide its members with insights into the potential for electrification of various industrial thermal processes, the cost-effectiveness of electric solutions (either as a replacement for or in combination with fossil fuel-based technologies) and the areas of innovation required to overcome technical and economic barriers. CETIAT and Cetim were commissioned to carry out this joint study.

The study prioritised five representative thermal processes covering various industrial sectors: pasteurisation, evaporation and concentration, high- and low-temperature batch ovens, high- and low-temperature tunnel ovens, and tunnel dryers. For each process, the following details are provided:

The findings of the technical and economic analyses highlight the advantages and barriers to electrification, taking into account the specific characteristics of each process. One of the key strengths of this study is its process-oriented analysis, which assesses each electric technology against criteria based on real-world operation. Indeed, the technical conditions of the processes have a significant impact on whether or not electric alternatives are viable.