Unlocking industrial flexibility: can thermal storage make electrification competitive?

Electro-thermal energy storage (ETES) can help make industrial electrification competitive. Electric technologies such as resistance heating, electrode boilers and heat pumps are mature and ready to be scaled, yet high electricity prices, taxes and grid fees often stand in the way of investment. At the same time, the growing share of variable renewables is making wholesale prices increasingly volatile, which creates an opportunity for flexible industrial consumers. By decoupling electricity use from heat demand, ETES enables industrial consumers to shift consumption to periods of lower prices, providing flexibility to the power system. 

Agora Industry and Fraunhofer ISI will present their new study on Unlocking industrial flexibility with thermal storage: evidence from EU countries. The following panel with Serena Pontoglio (European Commission), Nadine Wendt (Covestro) and Tzeni Varfi (SmartEN) will explore the role greater flexibility can play in strengthening industrial competitiveness and reducing reliance on imported fossil gas. They will also discuss what is holding back industrial demand-side flexibility and how the EU Electrification Action Plan can unlock this potential. 

Presentation(s) 
We usually publish the slides shown during our events afterwards.

Recording 
We plan to record the event. The recording will be published shortly after the event.

We look forward to your participation and an interesting discussion!