TOP-Energy software supports paper industry energy transition

At the TOP-Energy user days, Ricardo Ortiz Cabrera from the NOWUM-Energy Institute at FH Aachen presented how the TOP-Energy software can support the paper industry during the energy transition.

Industrial production processes, such as paper manufacturing, involve complex interactions between various energy carriers including electricity, steam, hot air, and waste heat. Because production volume directly influences energy demand, planning for energy efficiency and decarbonization requires a holistic view of these interdependencies rather than looking at individual energy flows in isolation.

Using TOP-Energy, a flexible energy system reference model can be developed to dynamically network different energy carriers. The software simulates total energy demand and process development by accounting for variables such as production quantity, required process temperatures, and pressure. This modeling approach is adaptable to other sectors, including the chemical and food industries, to analyze industrial energy systems.