Page 24 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2014
P. 24
Winter 2014 European Energy Innovation

HEAT & POWER

Delivering an efficient EU energy
system to benefit industry,
commerce and homes

By Fiona Riddoch, COGEN Europe

As winter approaches, the overall grid efficiency. CHP developed economy. The health
EU policymakers is used across the economy in and competitiveness of Europe’s
are focusing their a diverse range of applications. economy in the global market
attention on ensuring The smallest capacity of under therefore requires Europe to use
Europe’s heat and power amid 100kW meets the heat needs its resources effectively. Energy is
current geopolitical concerns of local smaller commercial or a key resource across the whole
over the security of the EU’s public buildings and smaller economy.
energy supplies from the East. In heat demands, while at the other
the discussions around securing end of the capacity range the Economic benefits can accrue
the supply of energy, European larger (above 10 MW) plants from combining heat generation
policymakers are becoming more are providing heat for larger and electricity generation.
interested in how the imported industrial processes and some Increasing the CHP base in
energy is actually used and how very large industrial complexes. European industry can improve a
efficient that use is. Hence the In between are universities, company’s competitiveness and
European Commission has begun hospitals, smaller processing and thus contributes to the industrial
to talk more consistently about manufacturing industries and renaissance powering Europe’s
the role of heat in Europe’s overall local area heat networks, which all economic recovery. It can also
energy demand. The efficiency use cogeneration to provide high improve the efficiency and
of supply and use of both heat efficiency heat and power for their reduce the total cost of the whole
and electricity will be themes of customers and clients. electricity system.
upcoming energy debates.
Moreover, there is enormous Industry uses large amounts
Embracing CHP delivers energy potential for new investments in of high temperature heat in
savings to the power system, CHP to help boost the efficiency industrial processes, making it
boosts asset utilisation and of existing heat networks in an attractive location for high-
supports the EU’s overall climate Central and Eastern EU member efficiency cogeneration. Instead of
and energy objectives to 2030. states. Cogeneration plants simply burning energy to produce
Today, cogeneration is already generate almost ¾ of the thermal heat, an industry can decide to
providing 11% of Europe’s energy needed in district heating use combined heat and power on
electricity (amounting to 109 GW and cooling networks (DHCNs). site to gain greater control over its
electrical capacity) and 15% of The growth potential of DHCNs energy costs, boost productivity,
its heat, and it could do more. in urban areas is significant, and demonstrably reduce its
Significant energy wastage while in less dense zones, micro- carbon footprint. Economy-wide,
through heat venting continues cogeneration devices are ideal Europe’s SMEs – which form an
across the electricity network low carbon and energy efficient essential part of the industrial
today, while high heat demand in solutions. supply chain – can also benefit
all sectors is still largely provided considerably from making
by local heat-only sources. ECONOMIC RECOVERY appropriate use of CHP.
REQUIRES LINKING TOGETHER
Moreover, as the most efficient EU ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL Of the 106 GWe of cumulative
form of schedulable generation POLICY CHP electrical capacity in the
on the networks, a wider role The European Union has EU, around half is embedded in
for CHP in the various services limited energy resources and its industry – saving the EU 15 Mtoe
and balancing markets improves labour costs are reflective of a of fuel imports per annum and

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