With its holistic approach, Fossilfree4Industry integrates various technological and systemic options, including district heating, waste heat, green gas production, and infrastructure expansion. Through this system integration, the flagship project demonstrates that phasing out fossil fuels in industry is both possible and economically viable. This, in turn, greatly accelerates the potential for the regional energy transition in the WEIZplus project region in Eastern Styria and supports the region’s efforts to become a model region for all of Austria. The lessons learned from this project can subsequently be applied to a wide range of other regions and countries.
Project goals
The overarching goal of Fossilfree4Industry is to demonstrate the technical feasibility and economic viability of decarbonising industry through integrated regional energy solutions. To achieve this goal, five individual approaches have been identified , yet are to be combined and considered in a synergistic manner to maintain focus on the overarching goal. The individual approaches are:
- Supplying energy to industry at two temperature levels
- Utilising waste heat from industry
- Increasing the output of green gas production
- Using regionally available energy sources for district heating
- Strengthening the energy supply infrastructure
Role of AIT
The increasing integration of photovoltaics into the distribution network is leading to a rise in voltage band problems in individual network sections. AIT is co-developing a solution in this project in order to resolve these voltage band problems; the solution uses battery storage, thereby avoiding the need to rely on traditional grid expansion. To this end, AIT is responsible for calculating and evaluating the necessary constraints, design and techno-economic performance of multimodal battery storage systems, of which the operation is to be system supportive in accordance with Austria’s new Electricity Industry Act (“Elektrizitätswirtschaftsgesetz”). AIT therefore is defining and assessing, in close collaboration with the stakeholders, Energienetze Steiermark GmbH as the grid operator, and Energie Steiermark Green Power GmbH as the storage operator, the framework characteristics for such a battery storage system, for the first time using operational envelopes
AIT contributions to the project are as follows:
- Grid simulation of the affected grid sections
- Creation of operational envelopes for the necessary active power limitation (and thus reactive power release) of the battery storage system
- Technical simulation and optimisation of the battery storage system based on operational envelopes and for participation in energy markets
- Regulatory analysis of relevant legislation (Electricity Industry Act aka Elektrizitätswirtschaftsgesetz) and regulations („Systemnutzungsentgelte-Grundsatz-Verordnung“)
- Economic evaluation of various technical and regulatory scenarios
The flagship project FossilFree4Industry is funded by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (formerly the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, BMK) and is being carried out as part of the flagship initiative ‘100% Renewable Energy Real-World Laboratories’ under the FTI priority area ‘Energy Transition’.
