Dr. Debalina Sengupta, Assistant Vice President, UH Energy, and Chief Operating Officer, the Energy Transition Institute, along with other research partners from Texas A&M University, has published a new study examining how electrification and distributed manufacturing could help heavy industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions while progressing toward net-zero goals. Dr. Sengupta’s work, titled “Reaching Net-Zero Targets through Electrification and Distributed Manufacturing: Techno-economic Analysis Using Radio Frequency Electrothermal Heating for Endothermic Processes,” is responsive to the current needs of electrification in the process industry.
The study looks at how high-temperature industrial processes such as propane dehydrogenation (PDH), which has traditionally used fossil fuel–fired furnaces, could be alternatively powered through electrification. Replacing conventional heating methods by electric heating may be viewed as a promising lower-carbon solution, especially when paired with renewable electricity sources.
In this work, the research team analyzed a heating approach that uses radio frequency–based technology to manufacture propylene via the PDH process in a production facility. Rather than focusing on technology in isolation, the study evaluates and compares large, centralized production facilities with smaller, distributed, modular manufacturing units. They have several advantages:
- Lower upfront capital investment and financial risk
- Reduced logistics and transportation costs
- Rapid adaptability to volatile markets and sudden, short-term demand
- Enhanced safety potential
- Shorter construction timelines
- Reduced need for customized fabrication
The findings highlight a key tradeoff facing industry today. Large, centralized plants remain more cost-effective due to economies of scale. However, smaller, electrified facilities powered by renewable electricity, have a much lower global warming potential. They can also utilize stranded or wasted resources such as natural gas liquids, which are currently vented or flared, achieving further emission reductions.
The paper includes discussions on the impact of feedstock prices, integration of renewable electricity, technology selection, and modifications in overall processes necessary for electrification. Importantly, the authors emphasize a phased approach to adoption of new technology like electrification to ensure derisking.
This research was funded partly by a US National Science Foundation grant (Grant CMMI-2228861) on future manufacturing to Texas A&M University. The work aligns closely with ETI’s mission of developing actionable, data-backed solutions to reduce emissions for process industries that offer industry leaders and policymakers insights into near- and long-term decarbonization strategies.