A new Royal Society report highlights untapped thermal energy in UK’s industrial sector, proposing heat cascade strategies to slash emissions, cut costs, and boost low-carbon heating across communities.
A new Royal Society report argues that the UK’s industrial sector contains a largely overlooked resource: the vast quantities of thermal energy currently discarded as waste. According to the report, industrial heating is responsible for roughly 14% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, and about half of the energy consumed in industry is lost as heat. Capturing and redeploying that thermal energy, the authors say, would curb emissions, shrink operating bills and supply low-carbon heat to local communities and buildings.
The study sets out a practical pathway based on “heat cascades”, where high-temperature waste heat is first reused on site or within industrial clusters and then passed down to lower-temperature applications before ultimately serving district heating systems. According to the Royal Society, such an approach could reduce the need for new primary energy and relieve pressure on electricity systems as heat demand becomes more electrified.
The pattern of losses is concentrated in energy‑intensive processes. Steel, cement, glass and chemical plants routinely heat materials to very high temperatures and then cool them, expelling large volumes of recoverable thermal energy. The report highlights emerging sources of waste heat from hydrogen production, carbon capture facilities and large data centres, arguing these will increase the urgency of integrated thermal management.
Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer OBE, Deputy Principal for Global Sustainability at Heriot‑Watt University and Director of IDRIC, said: “Industrial waste heat is often treated as an inevitable by-product, yet it represents a vast reservoir of untapped potential.” She urged that future infrastructure be designed around fuel switching and thermal efficiency to accelerate decarbonisation while protecting industrial competitiveness.
The authors caution that piecemeal decisions today could lock in equipment and networks incompatible with future heat reuse. Professor Andy Woods FRS, lead author of the report, said: “If the UK is serious about reaching net zero, dealing with the vast amounts of industrial waste heat needs to be integrated into decarbonisation strategies now, and not as an afterthought.” The report calls for coordinated action across government, industry and regulators to treat waste heat as a national asset rather than a disposal problem.
The recommendations align with other sector initiatives. Industry guidance from the Environmental Services Association sets out how energy‑from‑waste facilities can be connected to heat networks and targets a large scale‑up of heat output to unlock local heat demand. Meanwhile, wider UK heat policy shows a mixed picture: industry and policymakers are increasing support for technologies such as heat pumps and biomass, which together made up a substantial share of renewable heat in recent years, but those measures alone will not capture the industrial thermal potential identified by the Royal Society.
For businesses engaged in industrial decarbonisation the report offers both opportunity and a checklist for change: map heat flows, prioritise cascaded reuse within clusters, invest in capture, storage and transport infrastructure where viable, and align capital decisions with long‑term heat system design. According to the Royal Society, failure to embed thermal reuse into near‑term investment choices risks higher costs and slower progress to net zero.
The study concludes that treating waste heat as a recoverable resource could deliver meaningful emissions reductions and commercial gains if stakeholders coordinate policy, regulation and finance to scale deployment across multiple sectors.
- https://www.energylivenews.com/2026/01/30/industry-urged-to-cut-emissions-and-costs-by-reusing-wasted-heat/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://royalsociety.org/news/2026/01/thermal-efficiency-in-industry/ – The Royal Society’s report, ‘Unlocking thermal energy: Capture, storage and re-use of industrial waste heat’, highlights that industrial heating accounts for approximately 14% of UK emissions, with about half of the energy used in UK industry being lost as waste heat. The report proposes capturing and reusing this heat to decarbonise industry, reduce energy demand, improve productivity, and provide new local sources of heat for communities. It suggests a cascade approach to thermal energy re-use, where high-temperature waste heat is captured at source and reused at progressively lower temperatures. The report calls for coordinated action across government, industry, and regulators to treat waste heat as a valuable national resource. ([royalsociety.org](https://royalsociety.org/news/2026/01/thermal-efficiency-in-industry/?utm_source=openai))
- https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/low-carbon-energy-programme/thermal-energy/ – The Royal Society’s report, ‘Unlocking thermal energy: Capture, storage and re-use of industrial waste heat’, estimates that over half of the energy used in UK industry is lost as waste heat. The report explores how waste heat can be captured, transported, stored, and reused to support decarbonisation, improve industrial productivity and competitiveness, and unlock new sources of low-carbon heat for homes and businesses. It proposes a cascade approach to thermal energy re-use, where high-temperature waste heat is captured at source and reused at progressively lower temperatures. The report calls for coordinated action across government, industry, and regulators to treat waste heat as a valuable national resource. ([royalsociety.org](https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/low-carbon-energy-programme/thermal-energy/?utm_source=openai))
- https://ieef.cam.ac.uk/royal-society-report-unlocking-thermal-energy/ – The Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows at the University of Cambridge discusses the Royal Society’s report, ‘Unlocking thermal energy: Capture, storage and re-use of industrial waste heat’. The report highlights that industrial heating accounts for around 14% of UK emissions, yet approximately half of the energy used in UK industry is lost as waste heat. It proposes capturing and reusing this heat to decarbonise industry, reduce overall energy demand, improve productivity, and provide new, local sources of heat for communities. The report calls for coordinated action across government, industry, and regulators to treat waste heat as a valuable national resource. ([ieef.cam.ac.uk](https://ieef.cam.ac.uk/royal-society-report-unlocking-thermal-energy/?utm_source=openai))
- https://resource.co/article/efw-sector-targets-tenfold-increase-heat-output-20000-gwh – The Environmental Services Association (ESA) has published a guide to develop heat networks from energy-from-waste (EfW) facilities, aiming for a tenfold increase in heat output to 20,000 GWh annually. The guide outlines the development process from assessing waste demand to securing contracts and environmental permits, providing checklists for both EfW operators and network developers to support the connection of facilities to district heating systems. The ESA has also launched an interactive online Heat Network Prospectus, mapping EfW facilities across the UK and providing information about the heat potential of each site. ([resource.co](https://resource.co/article/efw-sector-targets-tenfold-increase-heat-output-20000-gwh?utm_source=openai))
- https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/low-carbon-energy-programme/thermal-energy/executive-summary/ – The Royal Society’s executive summary of the report ‘Unlocking thermal energy: Capture, storage and re-use of industrial waste heat’ states that half of the energy used in UK industry is wasted, primarily through heat loss due to system inefficiencies. The report explores how waste heat can be captured, transported, stored, and reused to support decarbonisation, improve industrial productivity and competitiveness, and unlock new sources of low-carbon heat for homes and businesses. It proposes a cascade approach to thermal energy re-use, where high-temperature waste heat is captured at source and reused at progressively lower temperatures. The report calls for coordinated action across government, industry, and regulators to treat waste heat as a valuable national resource. ([royalsociety.org](https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/low-carbon-energy-programme/thermal-energy/executive-summary/?utm_source=openai))
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_the_United_Kingdom – The Wikipedia article on renewable energy in the United Kingdom provides information on renewable heat sources, including biomass, biogas, solar thermal, geothermal heat, and ambient heat captured by heat pumps. In 2024, renewable heat demand was mainly solid biomass (60%) and heat pumps (27%). The article also discusses the increase in heat pump installations, driven by government support schemes, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales, which provides grants for low-carbon heating systems. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_the_United_Kingdom?utm_source=openai))
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article references a Royal Society report published on 29 January 2026, which is recent. However, similar discussions on industrial waste heat recovery have been ongoing, with reports from other organisations in the past year. ([royalsociety.org](https://royalsociety.org/news/2026/01/thermal-efficiency-in-industry/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer and Professor Andy Woods. While these quotes are present in the Royal Society’s official release, their earliest known usage cannot be independently verified, raising concerns about their originality. ([royalsociety.org](https://royalsociety.org/news/2026/01/thermal-efficiency-in-industry/?utm_source=openai))
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The article cites the Royal Society, a reputable scientific institution. However, the article itself originates from Energy Live News, a niche publication. The Royal Society’s official release is available on their website. ([royalsociety.org](https://royalsociety.org/news/2026/01/thermal-efficiency-in-industry/?utm_source=openai))
Plausibility check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about industrial heating accounting for 14% of UK emissions and half of industrial energy being lost as waste heat are plausible and align with known data. However, the article’s reliance on a single source without independent verification raises concerns about the comprehensiveness of the information. ([royalsociety.org](https://royalsociety.org/news/2026/01/thermal-efficiency-in-industry/?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article presents information from the Royal Society’s recent report on industrial waste heat recovery. While the source is reputable, the article’s reliance on a single source and the inability to independently verify certain quotes and claims raise concerns about its overall reliability. Further independent verification is recommended before publication.
