Renewable Energy in the Process Industry

Thorough discussion on renewable energies and their implementation into the process industry, emphasizing efficiency and demand of industrial processes

Renewable Energy in the Process Industry provides an overview of the challenges associated with the generation and storage of renewable energy, moving from a broad perspective to a zoomed-in look at a variety of different industries. The introductory chapter sets the current energy scene and its use in different countries. An outline is given for the electricity mix, how power generation is controlled, and why it may lead to on-demand power reduction. This outline is followed by a discussion of the technical aspects on generating renewable energy as well as energy storage with respect to efficiencies and important factors in the decision-making process.

Renewable Energy in the Process Industry includes information on:

• Requirements for renewable energy in the process industry, such as stronger grid connections, extension of the grid together with its stability, and better communication between operators
• Possible intermittency/interruptions in the heat supply that can arise when renewable energy is used
• Electrification of the process industry to reduce emissions
• Implementation of renewable energies in a variety of different industries, ranging from steel and cement manufacturing to pharmaceuticals and wastewater treatment, with flowsheets and operating conditions

Renewable Energy in the Process Industry is a timely, forward-thinking resource for process, chemical, and pharmaceutical engineers, bioengineers, and engineers involved in power technology.

Eric van Steen is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, where he holds the South African Research Chair in Reaction Engineering (SARChI). He holds an MSc from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and a Dr.-Ing. from Karlsruhe University of Technology in Germany. He is a Fellow of the South African Institute of Chemical Engineering and of the South African Academy of Engineering. His commitment to student development was recognised when he received the NRF Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award in 2024.

Prof. van Steen is part of the Catalysis Institute, in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, where the focus is on the development of novel materials and processes towards a sustainable society. His specific research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis, particularly applying principles in heterogeneous catalysis to the areas of renewable energy like CO/CO₂ hydrogenation, and photo-catalytic water splitting, but also in alternative ways to obtain building blocks for the chemical industry using the selective oxidation of methane.

Nicholas S. Featherstone holds a BSc.Eng. (Chemical) from the University of Cape Town and is currently a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is part of the Catalysis Institute, in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, where the focus of his research is on the direct hydrogenation of CO₂ to liquid fuels.

Linda H. Callanan holds a B.Sc. (Eng.) (Chemical) and a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town. After studying, she held a postdoctoral position in the Department of Chemical Technology II (Lehrstuhl für Technische Chemie II) at the Technische Universität München, Germany. She was then a senior lecturer at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Her research focus is on reaction kinetics, particularly in the field of heterogeneous catalysis.