Energy Transition in Industry as a Viable Path to Sustainable Decarbonization
Journal
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
ISSN
1755-1307
1755-1315
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Type
journal-article
Abstract
The industrial sector, responsible for a substantial share of global greenhouse gas emissions, faces the dual challenge of advancing decarbonization while ensuring long-term competitiveness. Addressing this dilemma requires a transition toward renewable energy sources that not only reduce emissions but also enhance energy security and compliance with increasingly stringent climate regulations. This study examines the integration of renewable energy technologies into industrial processes, highlighting both opportunities and persistent barriers. On the benefits side, renewable adoption has the potential to deliver significant emission reductions, strengthen energy independence, and improve corporate reputation through alignment with sustainability targets. Nevertheless, limitations such as high initial investment costs, intermittency of supply, technological uncertainty, and unstable regulatory frameworks continue to hinder large-scale deployment. Emerging digital technologies, including machine learning for predictive maintenance and blockchain for energy traceability, are identified as enabling tools that improve efficiency, transparency, and integration across supply chains. By employing a narrative review methodology, this analysis synthesizes documented case studies and verifiable performance metrics to provide a structured view of current practices. Findings demonstrate that sector-specific renewable integration, such as solar thermal in manufacturing or green hydrogen in heavy industries is both technically feasible and economically viable under favorable conditions, yielding measurable reductions in carbon intensity. However, success depends on designing tailored strategies that consider local resource availability, fostering stable policy frameworks that reduce investment risk, and promoting cross-sector collaboration. Ultimately, a context-sensitive and adaptive approach emerges as essential to scaling industrial decarbonization without undermining competitiveness, ensuring that sustainability and productivity evolve in tandem.