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The report argues that the European Union's 2020 hydrogen strategy was overly ambitious and requires recalibration to align with market realities. It advocates for a pragmatic, implementation-focused approach that prioritizes 'hard-to-electrify' sectors—such as steel, maritime, and fertilizers—while utilizing a combination of mandates ('sticks') and targeted funding ('carrots') to bridge the cost gap between renewable hydrogen and fossil-based alternatives.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative outlines a framework and recommendations for scaling transition finance to decarbonize India's iron and steel sector, which is the country's largest carbon-emitting industrial sector.

This policy brief by RMI explores the use of advance market commitments (AMCs) as a public procurement tool to decarbonize the concrete and cement sectors, specifically focusing on the United States.

This report by RMI analyzes the impact and potential of US federal clean energy tax credits on the industrial sector. It finds that these incentives have already spurred significant private investment and job growth, with the potential to bring nearly $235 billion in federal investment to US states by 2030 under a high-growth scenario.

This guide by RMI explains the function, types, and potential of thermal batteries as a decarbonization tool for industrial heating and grid stability. It details how these systems convert renewable electricity into stored heat using abundant materials, offering a cheaper and less complex alternative to hydrogen for high-temperature industrial processes.

This report by RMI argues that the US steel industry faces a critical decision point regarding seven aging coal-based blast furnaces in the Great Lakes region. The author contends that investing hundreds of millions of dollars to 'reline' these furnaces to extend their life by 20 years risks creating stranded assets, perpetuating severe local pollution, and missing the transition to low-emissions steel. Instead, the report advocates for a transition to Hydrogen-Ready Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) coupled with Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) to ensure long-term competitiveness and align with climate goals.

This briefing by RMI outlines the challenges and potential solutions for the industrial permitting process in California, specifically for clean industrial projects like hydrogen production and carbon dioxide removal. It argues that while the current decentralized system provides necessary environmental and community safeguards, it also creates 'nonproductive friction' that delays or cancels critical decarbonization projects. The document provides strategic recommendations for both permit-seekers and state policymakers to streamline approvals without compromising safety or environmental justice.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute outlines strategies for modernizing the United States industrial sector to maintain global competitiveness through decarbonization and technological innovation across cement, steel, chemicals, and hydrogen production.

This report defines "energy parks" as large-scale microgrids that co-locate renewable energy generation, storage, and electricity consumers (loads) behind a single point of interconnection (POI) to the bulk power grid. The authors argue that this model reduces equipment costs, accelerates the "time to power" for industrial loads, and provides flexible grid services. The document outlines the evolution of these parks from simple solar farms with high inverter-loading ratios to complex hybrids involving thermal batteries and hydrogen electrolysis. It identifies significant regulatory hurdles, including interconnection queue delays, wholesale market participation rules, and state-level utility monopolies, and proposes a shift toward treating energy parks as "digital resources" with a universal participation model.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute outlines the necessity for a next generation of industrial policies in the United States to achieve net zero emissions, noting that the industrial sector is projected to be the highest emitting sector by 2030.

This report by RMI examines the power procurement options and associated risks for green hydrogen projects, specifically focusing on the challenges of achieving hourly matching for the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act's 45V tax credit. It analyzes four procurement archetypes—Behind-the-Meter, Virtual PPAs, Physical PPAs, and Hybrid systems—and details how weather variability, logistic complexity, and grid volatility impact project bankability and economic viability.

This guide by RMI outlines the application of thermal batteries to decarbonize heating in the United States chemical and petroleum refining sectors, which contribute 5% to 6% of US greenhouse gas emissions. It details how these batteries store electricity as heat in materials like graphite or bricks to provide high-temperature heat for industrial reactions and distillation, potentially reducing heat emissions by up to 99%.

This executive summary describes a proposed "cluster development" model designed to scale the integration of green hydrogen within China's industrial sector, which is the country's largest hydrogen consumer. The model aims to overcome challenges related to supply stability and high costs by optimizing the alignment of production and consumption through a "production-storage-transportation-utilization" system.

This report introduces the Industrial Zero Emissions Calculator (IZEC), an open-source Excel tool designed to help stakeholders model and visualize the resource requirements—including electricity, hydrogen, bioenergy, and carbon capture and storage (CCS)—needed to fully decarbonize the industrial sector across five global regions.

This policy design brief by Energy Innovation proposes a Production Tax Credit (PTC) to accelerate the transition to zero-emissions industrial heat. The author argues that because industrial facilities emit approximately a quarter of global greenhouse gases—primarily from burning fossil fuels for processes like melting metals and cooking food—a targeted PTC can drive decarbonization while supporting manufacturing jobs and national security.

This report outlines the critical role of China's iron and steel industry in meeting global climate goals and provides a framework for companies to set aligned targets and implement decarbonization mechanisms.

This case study by the World Resources Institute examines the high emissions intensity of cement production in the United States compared to global averages. It argues that the U.S. can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase economic competitiveness by adopting 'blended cements,' which replace a portion of emissions-intensive clinker with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs).

This discussion paper by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the financing requirements and barriers for decarbonizing the industrial sector in India, with a specific focus on the iron and steel sectors.

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor analyzes China's steel industry, focusing on the transition from emissions-intensive blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) production to lower-emissions electric arc furnace (EAF) technology. It evaluates the feasibility of China's 15% EAF production target for 2025 and the potential for a more ambitious 20% target, while identifying obstacles such as scrap distribution and energy stability.

This briefing by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) examines the growth of 'captive' coal-fired power plants in Indonesia—off-grid facilities operated by industrial users. It highlights a significant increase in captive capacity, particularly to power metal smelters for nickel and aluminium, which contradicts Indonesia's climate commitments and the goals of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).