Renewable Thermal Collaborative’s Quarterly Update on Industrial Decarbonization
The Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC), the only global coalition focused exclusively on the decarbonization of thermal energy with renewable solutions, shared its Quarterly Update on Industrial Decarbonization (QUID) for the fourth quarter of 2024. Highlights include: three new Members and three new Solutions Providers joined the RTC, bringing the total number of participating companies to 107; the RTC releasedone case study and one new research publication; the RTC conducted three events and staff were featured speakers at two third-party events; and three RTC Members and four Solutions Providers announced new projects. These highlights represent some, but not all, of the progress being made towards the RTC objective of accelerating the pace of industrial decarbonization in the U.S. and around the world.
“As we grow to include companies and organizations representing more sectors of the economy, the RTC remains committed to helping our participants achieve their heat innovation and job creation objectives,” said Blaine Collison, RTC Executive Director. “Our work in the new year will be focused on actively evaluating technologies and advocating for policies that can help future-proof manufacturing by accelerating significant decarbonization.”
Highlights of the fourth quarter of 2024 include the following:
1) Three New Members and Three New Solutions Providers
With the addition of the following companies last quarter, the RTC includes 51 Members and 56 Solutions Providers in the United States and around the world, totaling 107 participants. Members include global industrial and institutional energy buyers that represent more than $6.5 trillion in market capitalization across a range of industries, including chemical, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, and pharmaceuticals. Solutions Providers provide relevant services for buyers and include equipment and engineering companies, advisors, developers, and others working to accelerate the renewable thermal market.
Givaudan is a Swiss manufacturer of flavours, fragrances, and active cosmetic ingredients. They are committed to being a climate positive business based on Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions according to the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocol.
Reckitt is a British consumer goods company that manufactures and distributes hygiene, health, and nutrition products around the world. They are committed to becoming net zero across their entire value chain by 2040 and cutting the carbon footprint of their products and operations by 50% by 2030.
Reynolds American is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT) and represents the largest market in the global BAT Group. They are committed to cutting their Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 GHG emissions in half by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050.
GlassPoint Inc. builds, owns, and operates large-scale solar steam facilities to reduce carbon emissions in hard-to-abate industries such as mining and metals, chemicals, construction materials, desalination and more.
Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management and automation with expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes.
South Jersey Industries is an energy infrastructure holding company based in Folsom, NJ. They deliver energy services to customers through two primary subsidiaries: SJI Utilities that houses their regulated natural gas utility operations and SJI Energy Enterprises that houses their non-utility operations primarily focused on clean energy development and decarbonization via renewable energy production and energy management activities.
2) Two New Publications and Five Events
The Collaborative released one case study and one research publication, and convened three events in the fourth quarter of 2024. RTC staff members were also featured speakers at two third-party events:
Case Study: Microgrid at Amond World Cold Storage Facility: This case study details the partnership between Origo Cold Storage and RTC Solutions Provider Scale Microgrids to implement an off-grid microgrid solution at Amond World, a 500,000 square-foot cold storage facility in California’s Central Valley. It provides an in-depth look at the potential for off-grid systems to accelerate industrial decarbonization while ensuring reliable operations.
Utility Engagement Playbook for Industrial Customers: This report, prepared for the RTC by Synapse Energy Economics and the World Wildlife Fund, provides a roadmap for industrial companies in engaging utilities and policy makers to overcome electrification barriers. By helping large energy buyers understand critical electric utility issues that can affect electrification projects, this Playbook informs conversations about electrification with utilities and outlines potential regulatory and legislative advocacy strategies.
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) Solar Thermal Symposium: RTC Project and Research Director Ruth Checknoff spoke at this symposium, a virtual event bringing together leaders from across the solar thermal industry. The symposium featured discussions on the potential for solar thermal technologies to decarbonize heat across residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural sectors.
VERGE 24: The RTC hosted the “Heat of the Moment: Decarbonizing Industrial Thermal Processes” workshop at VERGE 24. RTC Program and Research Director Ruth Checknoff moderated speakers from the U.S. DOE and RTC participants Kraft Heinz, Oatly, and Skyven Technologies in a discussion of cross-cutting, market-ready technology options for thermal decarbonization and best practices.
Case Study Webinar: Three Case Studies in Renewable Heating and Cooling: This webinar featured speakers from RTC Solutions Providers Solar UV Solutions, Kyotherm, and Scale Microgrids. Solar UV Solutions shared how evacuated tube solar thermal collectors and hot water storage are serving the Indianapolis International Airport’s essential facilities. Kyotherm discussed how Energy-as-a-Service financing enabled Boortmalt to install a flat plate solar thermal and hot water storage solution at a malting plant in France. Scale Microgrids described how the company designed and built an off-grid microgrid at a new refrigerated cold storage facility operated by Amond World in Madera, California.
LinkedIn Live: Utility Engagement Playbook Release Preview: This livestream previewed the Utility Engagement Playbook for Industrial Customers ahead of its release in December. Cihang Yuan, Senior Program Officer at World Wildlife Fund, and Melissa Whited, Vice President at Synapse Energy Economics, shared the context and purpose of the playbook along with the key takeaways.
Utility Engagement Playbook for Industrial Customers Webinar: This in-depth webinar accompanied the publication of the RTC Utility Engagement Playbook. Supported by Synapse Energy Economics, the playbook presents a menu of utility and policy interventions industrial customers could pursue in collaboration with utilities, PUCs, and state policymakers to address electrification challenges.
3) Seven New Member & Solutions Provider Projects
The RTC is the only place where large thermal energy users come together collaboratively with innovative solutions providers to understand the problems in the market, learn from each other, and overcome the barriers to renewable heating and cooling. Three RTC Members and four RTC Solutions Providers announced new projects in the Fourth Quarter. To learn more about these announcements, visit the RTC LinkedIn page.
“The RTC’s continued growth highlights businesses’ commitment to improving manufacturing and decarbonizing,” said Perry Hodgkins Jones, RTC Membership Director. “Our focus on connecting peers and sharing insights across multiple industries and sectors continues to be of value to our Members as we work together to advance the energy transition.”
Renewable Thermal Collaborative | www.renewablethermal.org