*Article* **Renewable Energy Integration for Steam Supply of Industrial Processes—A Food Processing Case Study**

**Ron-Hendrik Hechelmann 1,\*, Jan-Peter Seevers 1, Alexander Otte <sup>1</sup> and Jan Sponer <sup>1</sup> and Matthias Stark <sup>2</sup>**


Received: 20 March 2020; Accepted: 14 May 2020; Published: 16 May 2020

**Abstract:** This study highlights the *CO*2,*e*-emission reduction potentials and related economic consequences for changing steam generation from fossil to renewable. Seven different utility concepts are developed, including a steam accumulator for load management. Peculiarities for the integration of biogas boilers, biomass-fuelled boilers, electrode steam boilers, biomethane-fuelled solid oxide fuel cells, micro gas turbine, solar energy systems, heat pumps and steam accumulators into a steam system with fluctuating steam demand are explained and the energy balance based models for the simulation study are described. The characteristics of batch processes, start up times and part load efficiency are considered via an annual dynamic simulation. Based on a detailed process analysis and dimensioning of the utilities and the accumulator a comprehensive simulation study is conducted for a pet food processing company having an average steam demand of 18,000 MWh at around 9 bar and 3 t/h. The results show that the highest *CO*2,*e*-emissions reduction of up to 63% is achieved by the transition to a solid biomass-fuelled boiler system. This leads to an increase of the operating costs by 27.8%.

**Keywords:** biomass boilers; fuel cell; solar thermal; electrode boiler; steam systems; food processing industry; decarbonisation; energy costs
