Abstract
Under global climate change, issues related to decarbonization have become trending topics, drawing increasing attention worldwide. It is estimated that the industrial sector alone accounts for approximately 27 % of the global greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, as roughly 70 % of its energy demand still relies on fossil fuels. To prevent irreversible environmental damage, energy transition of the industrial sector has become the scope of research, prompting the rapid development of low-carbon energy solutions and energy-efficient technologies. Considering the rapid development of renewable energy sources (RES), integration of RES with electrification technologies has emerged as a promising solution for industrial decarbonization. Among these, heat pump-assisted distillation (HPAD) demonstrates significant potential for industrial applications. This study aims to provide more detailed evaluation regarding the benefits of implementing HPAD in industrial processes from the perspective of energy, economics, and emissions reduction. Analysis results reveal that HPAD can achieve up to 80 % energy savings and over 95 % reductions in carbon emissions. Moreover, the estimated payback periods for HPAD are approximately 0.5 y in both cases, highlighting the strong potential of HPAD as a highly attractive solution for process electrification and carbon reduction.
