In the past week, the Inflation Reduction Act passed the U.S. Senate, presumably clearing the way for funding for clean energy sources to speed up the United States’ transition from fossil fuels. If passed, the bill would “accelerate U.S. emission cuts and put the country on a path to reduce greenhouse gases by 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, significantly narrowing the gap with the goal Biden set under the Paris climate agreement to cut that pollution by at least half by that date,” notes Politico in a recent article.

Within industrial thermal processing, the trends are clear:

• Companies will continue to seek ways to decarbonize their industrial processes through electrification in greater numbers.
• A “cleaner energy future” is a key part of conversations about the energy transition underway.
• Alternative fuels such as hydrogen and sustainable materials are demanding greater consideration in myriad applications.

In this issue of Process Heating & Cooling, we take a closer look at some of these trends and how they may affect the process industries.

“Escalating fuel prices along with market demand for greener products also have added pressure to evaluate alternative sources of energy for heating processes,” notes Mariana Sandin of Seeq in her article. “One of the biggest challenges of the energy transition for process manufacturing is adapting existing technologies and assets to use renewable energy.”

If you would prefer to listen rather than read on the topic, turn to our podcast interview with Drew Turner of Danfoss. Drew shares his thoughts about combining process cooling and heating systems via electrification to help facilities achieve decarbonization goals.