Process heat

[1] Some form of process heat is used during the manufacture of many common products, from concrete to glass to steel to paper.

For example, if an equilibrium reaction between AB and CD produces AC and BD and the equilibrium can be shifted rightward by increasing temperature, continuously removing AC or BD from the reaction can serve to reduce the temperature requirements (c.f.

The Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors, constructed in the United Kingdom, had a high coolant outlet temperature (610 °C) as an explicit design goal for increased thermal efficiency.

[5] Of particular interest are small modular reactor designs, which could be built onsite for process heat generation.

Likewise, geothermal heat sources often have relatively low temperatures, sometimes even requiring binary cycles for electricity generation.

[citation needed] While this approach has the advantage of being usable with existing technology with minimal or no modification, it is less efficient than even resistive heating as the chemical processes required to turn electric energy into artificial fuels are less efficient than resistive heating.

[citation needed] Hydrogen is already in widespread use in industry today but is mostly derived from fossil fuels via processes such as steam reforming as of 2022.