Industrial production inherently produces a substantial amount of excess heat, which holds the potential for recovery and practical utilization. Unfortunately, in numerous instances, this surplus heat is released into the environment as waste heat, often through cooling water or process gases, resulting in the squandering of recoverable heat energy and financial resources. According to Motiva, approximately 37mihin a % of the energy utilized in the industrial sector dissipates into the environment as waste heat. According to the estimations, there exists a considerable opportunity to economically recover up to 4 terawatt-hours (TWh) of surplus heat annually generated by industrial processes. The strategic recuperation of this surplus heat has the potential to yield significant economic benefits, reducing energy costs by an estimated 200 million euros. The repurposing of this excess heat could find application in various areas, such as in-house processes, district heating, off-site production for the drying of raw materials, and the efficient operation of buildings within the factory premises. In 2021, an energy audit was conducted in the KIP area to evaluate the energy balance and flows within the region. The assessment revealed substantial potential for businesses in the area to capitalize on waste heat. Consequently, a series of recommendations for potential actions were formulated as part of the initiatives under this project. There are around 20 industrial plants in the KIP area, including a local energy company that is committed to energy production and aims to reduce peat consumption by a third from current levels. In the near future, the new operators in the area will also have a direct impact on the thermal balance of the industrial park. Although the operators in the industrial park are co-operating in the field of circular economy of energy sidestreams, it is evident that commercial entities are acting independently and carefully considering the most cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Their approach to energy supply investments reflects a careful consideration that extends as far into the future as possible. The actors in the KIP region form an industrial ecosystem and see potential for co-operation in the energy economy, in particular in waste heat recovery (and the local heat market), but do not yet have sufficient knowledge of sustainable and profitable solutions to support investment decisions for future solutions. The KIP HUKKA project aims to find concrete solutions for the use of regional waste heat by identifying implementation concepts that support the green economy. Results of the project: - a concrete knowledge of the future objectives of the actors in the KIP region and the potential for cooperation between them in the field of waste heat recovery, - verified overall regional impacts of waste heat recovery, e.g. the impact of the hydrogen economy, - a regional overall model for implementation concepts (e.g. two-way heat sales), - a strengthened image of the region as a pioneer in the energy cycle economy. The results of the project will be achieved by using previous studies, measurements, calculations and data analysis to support the predictability of the waste energy potential and by carrying out a concept analysis of different future implementation concepts (storage, electric boilers, etc.).
