Industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation via electrification and hydrogen

Decarbonising industrial energy systems requires a process-level understanding of where electrification and hydrogen can replace fossil fuels. However, national statistics typically report fuel use only at the sector level, which limits actionable planning. We develop a process-level energy allocation framework and apply it to the United Kingdom as a representative industrialised economy. Mapping energy use across devices, end uses, and passive systems shows that direct electrification reduces industrial energy demand by 24% and emissions by 39%. Hydrogen substitution delivers smaller energy savings of 7% and cuts emissions by 27%. A hybrid pathway that electrifies feasible processes and uses hydrogen where electrification is not possible matches the energy savings of electrification and achieves a 40% reduction in emissions. Prioritising electrification and reserving hydrogen for residual applications provides a robust and scalable route to industrial decarbonisation. The framework offers a transferable basis for aligning technology deployment with infrastructure and net-zero targets. • Process-level framework links industrial energy use with electrification and hydrogen. • Electrification cuts industrial energy demand by 24% and emissions by 39%. • Hybrid strategy reduces emissions by up to 40% while limiting hydrogen demand. • Electrification delivers larger system benefits than hydrogen for most processes.