Comment by Jack Stephenson, Senior Modelling Analyst at Energy Systems Catapult

Energy Systems Catapult in collaboration with United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) has created an interactive map, helping users to explore the story of the UK’s energy assets and their potential for cogeneration.

Produced as part of the Energy Systems Nexus project, this ‘StoryMap’ brings together details about the UK energy system through a series of engaging and interactive maps, with a focus on identifying where there are cross-sector opportunities to support industrial decarbonisation.

For example, many UK industries require high temperatures that can be produced using electricity. However, the necessary technologies are either still at a low level of maturity or remain costly. As a result, these industrial processes are among the most challenging to decarbonise, accounting for around 14% of the UK’s total emissions.

Currently, heat for industry is typically produced by burning fossil fuels. However, there is the potential for it to be generated by burning low-carbon hydrogen, or even as a direct product of nuclear power generation. By grouping sectors and sites on a map we can begin to spot where such links might be formed.

As part of this work, we grouped industrial processes into three categories based on the temperatures they require. This helps identify which low-carbon technologies may be most suitable for decarbonising each type of process:

• Processes up to 300°C: Commonly used in the pharmaceuticals and the food and drink processing sectors. These processes are well-suited to electrification. For example, through the use of heat pumps which operate efficiently at lower temperatures.

• Processes between 300-900°C: Commonly used in paper mills and the chemical industries. Heat recovery, such as heat offtake from nuclear power stations, could be a viable source of heat in this range. Heat from nuclear power stations is a continual product and is not limited to periods of high supply or by grid capacity.

  Processes above 900°C: Used in glass manufacturing and the metal industries. Continuous heat from nuclear power stations could provide a foundation for high temperature processes, with low-carbon hydrogen produced by electrolysis supplying the additional heat needed to reach the highest temperatures.

Why an interactive StoryMap?

By swapping a static report for an interactive, map-based experience, we’ve been able to make the most of spatial data. It’s more accessible and engaging for users. The goal is to help industry stakeholders, policymakers and the public, clearly see where energy generation assets and industry overlap by highlighting regional and technological case studies.

One of the advantages of using an interactive report format is the flexibility it gives users in how they engage with the content. For those looking for a high-level overview, the StoryMap guides readers through a clear narrative with the key takeaways highlighted throughout. But for those who want to dive deeper, the maps allow users to explore and interrogate the underlying data themselves – for example, by zooming into specific sites to see detailed location- and emissions-related information.