Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

The chemical and process industry is one of the major industrial consumers of primary energy resources worldwide. Hence, this industry is especially concerned with rising energy prices and demands for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions [1]. In recent years, many advances in energy efficiency have been made especially in the production of bulk chemicals. Efficient heat recovery, efficient plant and production structures as well as improved synthesis routes and catalysts are examples for that. A further increase of efficiency is hardly achievable by simple improvements and game-changing technologies will most possibly only punctually come up. Gradual improvement of processes and equipment still has the highest potential to achieve a broader impact, particularly if a methodological base for optimal process designs is developed that can be applied to many of the different processes and process classes in chemical production.