The JRC assesses the role of technology innovation, including large scale deployment of technology best practices in the reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the European energy-intensive industries (chemical, steel, aluminium, cement, paper & pulp industries) and its impact on the industrial competitiveness. In order to analyse different scenarios of the evolution of the industry up to 2050, the JRC uses bottom-up models at facility level and with a European coverage.
The close follow-up of the technology innovation in the industry serves to assess the role of energy efficiency as a contribution to the moderation of the energy demand (third pillar of the Energy Union) and contributes to the analysis of the role of price formation of the Emissions Trading System in the uptake of low carbon and energy-efficient technologies, that is a component of the fourth pillar of the Energy Union. Moreover, identifying missed cost-effective investments, supports the design of policies aimed to overcome the barriers that prevent those investments.
Related Content
Publications on cement, aluminium and iron and steel industries
- Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emissions: Prospective Scenarios for the Cement Industry
- Energy Efficiency and GHG Emissions: Prospective Scenarios for the Aluminium Industry
- Prospective Scenarios on Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emissions in the EU Iron & Steel Industry
- Prospective on the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions in the EU cement industry
- Prospective scenarios on energy efficiency and CO2 emissions in the European Iron & Steel industry
- The potential for improvements in energy efficiency and CO2 emissions in the EU27 cement industry and the relationship with the capital budgeting decision criteria
- The potential for improvements in energy efficiency and CO2 emissions in the EU27 iron and steel industry under different payback periods
JRC reports and peer-reviewed papers regarding competiveness in the energy-intensive industries
- Production costs from energy-intensive industries in the EU and third countries
- Production costs of the chemical industry in the EU and other countries: Ammonia, methanol and light olefins
- Production costs of the non-ferrous metals in the EU and other countries: Copper and zinc
Peer-reviewed papers regarding innovation and barriers, again in the energy-intensive industries