The result of a close collaboration between the Sustainable Energy Center at FBK and SRI, with the support of the Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, the Department of Planning at Aalborg University and the University of Trento unfold the optimal pathways to define a sustainable future for the refinering sector.

The ambitious 2030/2050 European climate and energy targets will result in increasingly stringent emission free allowances and higher CO₂ cost for the industrial sector. For this reason, defining a decarbonization strategy is crucial when planning industrial development. Through the work of a Master Thesis, FBK assessed the feasibility of the decarbonization of the SRI’s Augusta refinery.

An ambitious endeavor tackled through a novel approach developed by FBK: the coupling of a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) with a smart energy systems simulation software (EnergyPLAN). With the support of the Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, the Department of Planning at Aalborg University and the University of Trento, a tailored model was created which allowed assessing 10000 scenarios and related outcomes (in terms of annual emissions and costs) based on the optimal penetration mix of 22 energy technologies in the electrical, thermal, hydrogen feedstock and transport demand.