2026
Renewable electricity heating of endothermic catalytic processes is a promising strategy to decarbonize the chemical industry, which also offers additional potential benefits such as better reaction control and process intensification. In this task a simplified Excel tool was developed for a priori quantification of potential electrification benefits for endothermic catalytic reactions based on few easily accessible inputs, without performing any detailed process modelling task. The assessment relies on ten evaluation indexes that are computed from data of the conventional process and that represent specific characteristics of the process on which electrification can have a critical impact. The electrification tool is then tested on three reactions related to hydrogen production and storage, namely steam methane reforming, ammonia decomposition, and methyl-cyclohexane dehydrogenation.
