INDUSTRIAL PROCESS HEAT

Why in news? Disruptions in energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz prompted the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to reduce gas allocations to non-priority industries, highlighting the vulnerability of India’s Industrial Process Heat sector to global energy shocks.
Industrial process heat is defined as thermal energy used directly in the preparation or treatment of materials to produce manufactured goods.
•  Industrial heat accounts for around 25% of India’s total energy consumption. 
•  Traditionally, industries generate this heat by burning hydrocarbons like natural gas or coal. 
•  Recent geopolitical tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz have exposed India’s vulnerability in energy supply chains. 
Thermal Independence
•  What is Thermal Independence?
Thermal independence refers to a country’s ability to produce the heat required for industrial processes using domestic and reliable energy sources, rather than relying heavily on imported fuels such as natural gas or coal. In industries like textiles and ceramics—such as those in Morbi and Ludhiana—high-temperature heat is essential for activities like dyeing fabrics or firing ceramic tiles. Traditionally, this heat has been generated by burning hydrocarbons, making industrial production vulnerable to fluctuations in global fuel supplies and prices.
•  Why India Needs Thermal Independence
Recent geopolitical disruptions affecting energy supplies have highlighted how dependent many industries are on imported fuels. When gas supply tightens or prices rise sharply, factories can face operational slowdowns because industrial heat systems rely directly on fuel combustion. This situation has reinforced the idea that energy security must extend beyond electricity generation to include industrial heat, which is a fundamental requirement for manufacturing.
•  How Thermal Independence Can Be Achieved
One pathway is the adoption of Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) technology, which uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto a receiver to generate high-temperature heat. Unlike solar photovoltaic panels that produce electricity, CST produces direct thermal energy, heating fluids such as water or molten salts to temperatures up to about 400 °C. This heat can generate pressurised steam for processes such as textile bleaching and scouring, which require temperatures between 100 °C and 180 °C. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India has an estimated 15 GW potential for CST, though adoption is still limited.
•  Another important pathway is the electrification of heat. Instead of burning fuel, technologies such as induction heating and plasma torches generate heat using electromagnetic fields. These systems are significantly more efficient because they produce heat directly within the material being processed rather than transferring it from a flame. For example, gas boilers can lose 20–30 % of their energy through exhaust, while electric heating systems can achieve efficiencies exceeding 90 %. Some ceramic manufacturers in Morbi have already begun experimenting with plasma torch kilns, which allow precise temperature control and reduce energy losses.
•  In essence, thermal independence means reducing reliance on imported fuels by shifting industrial heat production toward solar thermal technologies, electrified heating systems, and other domestically available energy sources. Such a transition would improve energy security, stabilise industrial production, and support India’s broader decarbonisation goals.
Challenges to India’s Thermal Independence
•  Grid Capacity Constraints
India’s electricity grid is not yet prepared for a large-scale shift from gas-based heating to electric heating. Since industrial heat accounts for around 25% of India’s total energy consumption, moving this demand from gas pipelines to electricity networks would place enormous pressure on the power grid.
•  Intermittency of Renewable Energy