| Title: |
Comprehensive energy balance analysis and techno-economic evaluation of static hydrogen carbon savings for an industrial dual-fuel combustor used in food manufacturing |
| Authors: |
Short, Michael; Segovia, Edgar; Hamad, Faik; Patel, Dipal; Dawood, Huda; Russell, Paul; Tether, Craig |
| Source: |
Short, M, Segovia, E, Hamad, F, Patel, D, Dawood, H, Russell, P & Tether, C 2026, 'Comprehensive energy balance analysis and techno-economic evaluation of static hydrogen carbon savings for an industrial dual-fuel combustor used in food manufacturing', Fuel, vol. 418, 138675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2026.138675 |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Description: |
Industry contributes around a quarter of the United Kingdom’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the UK Government has set ambitious net-zero targets, including establishing the first net-zero industrial cluster by 2040. Decarbonizing heavy industry will rely on technologies such as carbon capture and storage and the transition to low-emission fuels like hydrogen, though its adoption is hindered by uncertainties around feasibility, cost, and supply. This study proposes a dual-fuel strategy and presents a comprehensive energy balance, emissions assessment, and techno-economic analysis of hydrogen–natural gas blends in an industrial fryer. A baseline natural-gas energy profile is developed, followed by evaluation of hydrogen substitution up to 100 %. The analysis incorporates capital and operational costs, including hydrogen transport, and relevant UK policy incentives for low-emission combustion. Results confirm technical feasibility and show that full hydrogen substitution via pipeline or local seaport delivery can cut CO 2 emissions by up to 97 % while reducing carbon-tax liabilities and operating costs. However, large-distance truck transport and reduced carbon-tax pressures significantly erode these benefits, underscoring the need for optimized supply chains and supportive policy. Operational costs remain lower than with natural gas, but fixed on-site hydrogen storage is not financially viable due to long payback periods. Overall, hydrogen is shown to be a promising low-emission industrial fuel, provided favorable policy and infrastructure conditions are in place. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
0016-2361; 1873-7153 |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0016-2361; info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1873-7153 |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.fuel.2026.138675 |
| Availability: |
https://research.tees.ac.uk/en/publications/dcdb1586-3ed5-489b-945b-8dd7943a693a; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2026.138675; https://research.tees.ac.uk/ws/files/114452661/113197439.pdf; https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105030263813 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.D238AA9C |
| Database: |
BASE |