DEIMOS – Decarbonizing the European Industry – Open Science Modelling

DEIMOS Project Description

The European Green Deal and the "Fit for 55" package aim to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050, with some nations setting even more ambitious targets by 2045. This transformation involves transitioning to renewable energy sources, displacing fossil fuels from the energy mix, and reducing emissions across various energy demand sectors. Industry in particular, which is responsible for 20% of CO2 emissions in Europe, faces the challenge of reducing both energy-related and process-related emissions due to its large share of energy-intensive processes. Modelling the development of industrial final energy demand can support the analysis and implementation of decarbonization measures in the respective economic sectors. Detailed data sets are essential for this. Therefore, this project adopts an Open Science approach to model European industrial energy consumption and emissions based on high-resolution scenarios, making datasets and models publicly accessible. The project analyzes historical industry trends and the current status to develop future scenarios, considering numerous decarbonization measures. The implementation of the decarbonization measures is parameterized using different scenarios and modelled in a simulation of final industrial energy demand in order to assess their effectiveness in achieving European and national targets. These scenarios range from moderate to ambitious and aim for greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050, 2045 and 2035, taking into account EU and Member State targets. Through scenario modeling, the project assesses energy mixes, emission impacts and the potential of demand-side management at industrial sites. In addition, the increased need for flexibility on the part of industry due to the increasing share of renewable fluctuating energy sources in the energy mix to ensure security of supply is taken into account. Studies on the flexibility potential of various industrial processes have already been carried out, but so far do not offer an open access database with regard to the technical data used. A comprehensive open access database on the temporally and spatially high-resolution industrial energy demand, as well as emission balances and the model code of the calculated scenarios (open source) will be published at the end of the project.