The Industrial Decarbonization Challenge: Revolutionize the Future of Manufacturing

Phillip Swanson

EiR, Centrepolis Accelerator

The world is progressively recognizing the importance of decarbonization in the fight against climate change. Industrial decarbonization is one area that has received minimal attention. However, the launch of the Industrial Decarbonization Challenge aims to bring more attention to this area. This challenge is sponsored by Whirlpool Corporation, Gerdau, The National Renewable Energy Lab, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and Breakthrough Energy. Technology companies that demonstrate and test cutting-edge industrial decarbonization technologies in real-world settings have the opportunity to be awarded funding up to $250,000.

Why Industrial Decarbonization Matters Now

The industrial sector is responsible for a significant amount of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Key facts and figures:

• In 2021, the U.S. industrial sector accounted for 35% of total U.S. end-use energy consumption and 33% of total U.S. energy consumption.

• The three largest energy consuming manufacturing subsectors—chemicals, petroleum and coal products, and paper—combined consumed nearly 70% of total manufacturing energy use in 2018.

• Total Emissions in 2021 from the U.S. industrial sector was 6,340 Million Metric Tons of CO₂ equivalent.

• Nearly 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from industry, including indirect emissions from the sector's electricity consumption that is provided to these power hungry manufacturing operations.

That. Is. A. Lot. Of. Emissions. Thankfully many organizations, including our sponsors, are doing their part to help reach a Net-Zero industrial future. For example, Whirlpool has committed to reaching Net-Zero emissions across scope 1 and 2 by 2030., and joined the Department of Energy Better Climate Challenge in 2022, which targets a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent within 10 years and collaborating with the DOE and other organizations to cut carbon and save energy.

See Whirlpool’s efforts first hand in episode three of the Better Climate Challenge Roadshow YouTube series. I definitely recommend you take some time to watch.

Collaboration and Focus

So why an innovation challenge? No one organization has all of the solutions, and in a rapidly evolving space like Climate Technology, it becomes even more difficult to stay on top of emerging innovations. The goal with the challenge is to put the Bat Signal up, calling all companies tackling Industrial Decarbonization to apply so we can accelerate the path to Net-Zero for our sponsor organization.

And why collaborate across industries? We can’t solve this problem alone. We don’t operate in silos. And most importantly, we all have blindspots. Collaborating across industries helps reduce those blindspots, and find potential applications we might otherwise miss. During our work organizing the challenge and distilling the focus areas, we found that each organization has more in common in their decarbonization targets than they do that is truly unique and the three challenge focus areas below are a result of that work.

Decarbonize the Supply Chain

To reach Net-Zero, we need to use clean energy and production processes. We aim to enable traditional machine applications to switch to sustainable energy sources and to improve carbon capture. 

Decarbonize the Built Environment

Making how we run and monitor the buildings we occupy is important, but we need to decarbonize the way we build these environments. We aim to make current buildings more efficient and at the same time build new structures without emitting carbon

Decarbonize Manufacturing Processes

Our program seeks to leverage new circular design processes, materials, and manufacturing technologies to eliminate new carbon from the industrial supply chain

Why Participate

The Industrial Decarbonization Challenge offers funding of up to $250,000 to develop and showcase decarbonization solutions. Participants can also explore paid pilot opportunities to validate their technologies in real-world scenarios. Mentorship and guidance are available to refine innovations, and commercial partnerships can be established to contribute to sponsor organizations' ambitious decarbonization objectives.

How to Apply

To submit an application, visit the F6S platform and apply via the application page here and for information on the challenge visit https://www.centrepolis.org/industrial-decarbonization

Timeline

The Industrial Decarbonization Challenge is now accepting applications. Applications will be reviewed in December, followed by 1-on-1 meetings with down-selected applicants in January 2024. Winners will be announced in February 2024, and the finalists will participate in a pitch competition and event in April 2024.

Please feel free to reach out to me via email pswanson@ltu.edu.

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