A strategic framework for low-carbon energy transition in high-emission industries: Case of ceramic parks

• Build a framework for low-carbon energy transition in high-emission industrial parks. • Design an IES containing EH-ES, focusing on multi-energy complementary substitution. • Establish a refined model for ceramic production and energy interactions mechanisms. • Optimise an energy supply model with dynamic CEF and TOU electricity price. • Offer a strategic paradigm for low-carbon transition in energy-intensive industries. Considering the dual challenges of increasingly stringent carbon emission constraints and the large-scale integration of renewable energy, decarbonising high-energy-consumption industrial parks is of critical importance for global sustainable development. This study proposes a low-carbon energy transition framework specifically designed for ceramic industrial parks, centring on the principle of multi-energy complementary substitution. Leveraging an integrated electricity-hydrogen energy system, the framework establishes a refined model to analyse the costs and carbon emissions across the entire ceramic production process, enabling flexible load dispatch and low-carbon operational responsiveness. At the institutional level, it advances strategic innovations, thereby ensuring alignment with policy frameworks and industrial governance. By formulating a joint optimisation model for energy storage capacity configuration and operational decision-making, the system minimises total costs and carbon emissions while ensuring energy supply reliability. A large-scale case study of a ceramic park with over 150 factories in Jiangxi Province, China, demonstrates that the framework achieves 100% renewable energy source consumption, reducing carbon emissions by 67.34% and lowering costs by 17.92% in 2030 compared to conventional energy systems. Hydrogen substitution for methane and diesel plays a pivotal role in emission reductions, while electrolyser efficiency emerges as a key determinant of system performance. This research offers a transition pathway that balances structural innovation and institutional compatibility for high-emission industries while providing strategic guidance for the low-carbon development of future industrial parks.