Abstract
Process heat electrification offers the prospect of deep decarbonization
of the process industries. Replacing fossil fuel-fired boilers with
electric ones can reduce carbon emissions if power is supplied from a
grid with a high proportion of renewables. For multinational firms with
plants in multiple locations, the electrification decisions should be
scheduled based on grid carbon intensity projections and coordinated
among these subsidiaries; in addition, carbon credits can be traded
among the multiple sites to allow lagging plants to reduce their carbon
footprints. Here we develop a novel mathematical model to optimize
process heat electrification policies in multinational corporations. The
model determines the optimal timing of electrification at each location,
and also the necessary level of carbon trading within the multinational
firm. An illustrative case study demonstrates how the proposed model can
be used to generate electrification plans that are superior to those
based on simple heuristics.