The solution or mitigation of the climate change problem demands for a complex set of behavioral transformations, concerted actions, global and continental policies, national implementations and new or improved technologies, whose ultimate goal is to avoid disastrous changes of the ecosystem resulting in irreparable effects on human civilization. Such technologies have also the important potential of creating widespread societal benefits, like more employment, more fairly distributed wealth, and significant and widespread health improvements.

The amount of thermal energy generated by human activity that is dispersed into the atmosphere in any given instant without utilization is so large that it escapes human comprehension. Thermal energy is discarded to the atmosphere by almost all industrial processes and by all mobile or stationary engines. As it is the case for many human activities, this unbearable waste is also a huge resource that most of the public is not aware of, possibly because it is invisible and intangible. Importantly, even in future scenarios where fossil fuels are replaced by carbon-neutral alternatives, industrial processes and engines will continue to produce significant amounts of thermal energy, as dictated by the laws of thermodynamics. Utilizing this energy efficiently is crucial for preventing resource depletion.

A mature technology suitable for the use of this valuable asset allows to convert thermal energy into electricity or useful mechanical energy: Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants. A prudent estimate leads to the conclusion that if only a portion of the wasted thermal energy from industrial processes in EU27 countries were recovered with ORC power plants, this would generate as much as 150 TWh_e/year of electricity.  According to some conservative calculations performed by KCORC, the electricity generated may amount to about 5% of the total electricity currently produced in European Union countries. Notably, such electric power is generated, daily and seasonally, at times of peak industrial activity, thereby reducing corresponding peak loads. Importantly, electricity from otherwise wasted thermal energy is generated within the perimeter of industrial facilities, therefore in most cases no additional grid capacity is required.

An ORC power plant works according to the same principle of steam power stations, but instead of water, the working fluid in the closed loop is an organic substance, like so-called refrigerants, hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide. The fluid is selected according to the temperature level at which the thermal energy source is available and its amount.
Waste-heat-to-power by means of ORC technology features many advantages.  The electricity that is generated does not cause any additional emission, does not depend on weather and is dispatchable. Furthermore, it can significantly contribute to the reduction of the dependency of the European Union from imported fuels, providing a sustainable supply of electricity that is detached from the volatility of energy markets. Electricity is more valuable than thermal energy, much easier to distribute and key to the decarbonization of societies. Arguably, no other thermal energy harvesting technology is equally flexible because ORC systems can be used to generate power from sources of many hundreds of megawatts down to sources of just few kilowatts and at temperature levels that span the range from 100°C to 1000°C. The thermal energy that is released at low temperature (40-80°C) can be used for cogeneration, that is to  heat urban, industrial or agricultural (greenhouses) networks, bringing the efficiency of the entire energy chain to almost 100%. European countries are especially suitable for the widespread adoption of thermal energy harvesting: Europe is very industrialized and capillarily connected to the electric grid. The high-density population is one of the causes of the “not-in-my-backyard syndrome” against large power stations of any kind, while ORC power plants can be easily integrated in existing industrial sites, distributed, or embedded aboard means of transportation.

Europe is in a leadership position when it comes to ORC technology, as the majority of all manufacturers are European and they installed and are installing their products not only in Europe but worldwide. In addition, Europe leads also in related R&D activities. If proper policy and regulation supported the growth of the market that would be created by making energy efficiency and carbon neutrality a requirement, the number of jobs that would be created would be very large, in the tens of thousands over a decade. It is estimated that, if the adoption of waste-heat-to-power technologies were embraced and supported, the current annual growth rate of the global market of ORC stationary power plants could double from the current 7.5% to 15%. This would correspond to the creation of at least 45,000 to 50,000 new qualified jobs over a period of 10 years. The necessary workforce is already available, as the required skill set closely aligns with that of workers in power plant manufacturing. This projection of employment growth does not take into account the possible birth of another large market if ORC technology were to be utilized in the next decade to recover waste heat from propulsive engines, those of trucks, off-road vehicles, ships, trains, etc.

The European potential of thermal energy harvesting has been evaluated based on available data per industrial sector (iron and steel, nonmetallic minerals, aluminum, cement, glass, nonferrous metals, chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, stationary power, paper, food and beverages), per temperature level and per geographical location. The result of the analysis is that ORC technology is applicable in all countries and that 75% of the thermal energy obtained from burning primary fuels is not currently exploited and would be available for recovery. ORC power plants could convert into electricity a large share of this recoverable energy.

Moreover, many types of propulsive thermal engines inherently discard to the atmosphere from one third to half of the energy of the fuel, thus also in this case the potential is humongous. R&D activities and first commercial applications have already demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. While cars and other light duty vehicles are bound to become electric, it is easy to argue that complete electrification is impossible in the medium term, and decarbonization will be due mostly to the usage of carbon-neutral fuels like hydrogen. These fuels will likely be much more expensive, and this will also push for the adoption of waste heat recovery technology for economic reasons, as it increases efficiency. Also in case of mobile applications of ORC technology, European companies are in the lead and should be supported.

This report is intended for a wide audience: from the general public to policy makers and politicians, from users of the technology to ORC technology practitioners. KCORC has written this document with the intent of providing useful technical, economical, and policy-related information on which important decisions can be based, and with the conviction that ORC technology will be a relevant part of the solutions advanced by the Green New Deal, if properly supported. The current policy and regulation scenario on waste-heat-to-power technologies has been summarized, pitfalls and barriers analyzed, and a number of changes and improvements to related policy and regulations proposed, such that the role and value of waste-heat-to-power are properly recognized, and hopefully rational regulation is implemented in Member States in a consistent and effective way.

Furthermore, the European scenario of support to ORC technology development has been outlined, highlighting how it is currently rather scattered and inconsistent and, above all, insufficient if the objective is to tap into this immense resource. Research and development are needed to increase the performance and reduce the cost of ORC power systems. As a consequence, in line with the principles established by the Clean Energy Transition – Technologies and Innovations Report (CETTIR) of the European Commission (2021), the creation of a proper infrastructure to boost, coordinate and evaluate research and development is proposed. In analogy to what has been done for other renewable energy technologies (for example ETIPWind for wind energy), the creation of the European Technology & Innovation Platform on organic Rankine cycle technology – ETIPoRc is proposed.

In conclusion,  this position document about ORC technology is to be intended as a dynamic repository (this is its second version, the first was publish in 2022) of convincing information and ideas brought forward by an enthusiastic and vibrant community of volunteers (academics, professionals from companies, researchers in government institutions), supported by small, medium and large ORC companies whose final objective is to substantially contribute to the solution or mitigation of the global climate issue and the betterment of the European Union and society at large.