The European Commission published its Electrification Action Plan on 17 July 2026. The plan places electricity at the centre of a more efficient energy system and sets a reference point of 32% of final energy consumption by 2030. The longer-term indicative level is 46% by 2040. For industry, the important question is not simply whether a process can be electrified, but whether electricity can be used at the most useful time.
Industry represents almost one quarter of EU energy demand. Food and beverage production, pulp and paper, textiles and several other sectors already have commercially available electrical options for significant parts of their heat demand. Industrial heat pumps and electric boilers can provide process heat up to roughly 400–500°C, according to the Commission.
Thermal storage separates power from production
A process may require heat continuously even when electricity prices, renewable production or network capacity change throughout the day. Thermal storage creates a buffer between those two schedules. Electricity can charge a heat store during a favourable window, while the production line draws useful heat according to its own operating plan.
The store may use water, fireclay, ceramic material or another medium selected for the required temperature and discharge profile. Unlike an electrical battery, it cannot later supply arbitrary electrical equipment. That limitation is also its strength: when the final service is heat, direct thermal storage avoids reserving electrochemical capacity for a task that does not need electricity at the point of use.
Power, temperature and duration must be designed together
Three headline values describe very different jobs. Charging power determines how quickly surplus or low-cost electricity can be absorbed. Stored energy determines how long the process can continue after charging stops. Temperature determines whether the stored heat is suitable for hot water, space heating or an industrial operation.
Heat loss, insulation, minimum useful temperature and the process return temperature change the usable result. A nominal storage figure is therefore not enough. Designers also need the daily heat profile, allowed temperature band, electrical connection limit and a realistic forecast of the hours in which charging will be attractive.
Where batteries still belong
Thermal storage does not replace electrical batteries. Motors, controls, lighting, electronics and backup circuits still require electricity. A hybrid design can allocate energy according to the final service: electrical storage for loads that must remain electrical, and thermal storage for heat that can be produced earlier.
This division can reduce unnecessary cycling of the battery and make more photovoltaic surplus useful. It can also give an energy manager more options during grid constraints. The controller must protect process requirements first, then optimise tariffs, on-site generation and storage state.
A practical industrial checklist
- Measure heat demand at a useful time resolution, not only monthly totals.
- Define the required delivery temperature and acceptable variation.
- Calculate both charging power and usable thermal capacity.
- Check connection limits and any flexible-connection conditions.
- Keep essential electrical loads separate from shiftable heat demand.
- Include insulation losses, maintenance access and safe installation clearances.
The Commission estimates technical industrial-electrification potential above 2,000 TWh by 2040. Turning that potential into economical projects will depend on tariffs, grid access and investment conditions. On the equipment level, it starts with treating stored heat as a controlled part of the energy system rather than as an isolated heater.
Primary source: European Commission — Electrification Action Plan · source language: English · published: 2026-07-17. This is an original WodaTherm™ briefing, not a copy of the source publication.