Searching for Eudaemonia?

You might not expect to hear Greek philosophy cited at an event focused on the future of steam. However, the opening keynote, delivered by Cormac Hanly (Lead Sector and insights Manager at Steam Thermal Solutions), did just that.

Aristotle's concept of achieving something great through excellence, however difficult the challenge—eudaemonia—served to highlight the role engineers will need to play in decarbonising industry. It will not be easy. Nor will it happen overnight. However, it is the determination to succeed, to innovate, and to overcome any hurdles that will ultimately lead to that Aristotelian sense of fulfilment.

As part of the wider SEEP (Sustainable Energy and Environmental Protection) Conference, over 200 participants spent the day hearing about the latest developments in the evolution of thermal energy.

Several of the morning sessions focused on the technology involved with HTHPs (high-temperature heat pumps); particularly apt given Spirax Group's recent investment in Sustainable Process Heat GmbH (SPH), a technology start-up in Germany. This emerging field is often touted as an easy solution for decarbonisation efforts, but the reality is that it is not as simple a cure-all as it might seem.

The afternoon's presentations followed the keynote from Dave Forte (Head of Global Strategic Business, Steam Thermal Solutions). Echoing the morning's message that decoupling the production of steam from fossil fuels was a significant challenge, the good news is that companies are working together towards the shared goal. By trying new technologies, sharing best practices, and learning from failures, momentum is growing. This ambition and investment, combined with engineering expertise, is developing solutions to make it happen.

Searching beyond the obvious was another theme in many sessions. One talk discussed research into extracting valuable heat from radiative waste heat, focusing on the ceramic industry. As the second-largest energy-intensive process in the EU, after the cement industry, you can begin to understand the benefits this would bring if it could be usefully harvested.

Others focused on issues as diverse as the technological and commercial readiness of thermal energy storage in industrial steam applications, how best to deal with problems caused by scaling in plate heat exchangers, and the latest advances in eliminating background noise when digitally monitoring steam equipment.

Matt Candy, CEO of Steamology, closed the day's proceedings by giving insight into his team's progress. They now have a patented application to combust hydrogen and oxygen to create clean, green steam, coupled with low-risk, proven steam engineering.

The issue, as with any emerging technologies on the journey to decarbonisation, is the complications involved with scalability, cost, and integration with existing industrial processes. When these are overcome, through dedicated engineering with purpose, then that eudaemonic satisfaction will be reached.