Agostino Chiesa
PhD thesis title: Comparative analysis of decarbonization options for energy-intensive industries
Academic Tutor: Stefano Campanari
Academic Supervisor: Matteo Carmelo Romano and Paolo Colbertaldo
PhD cycle: 39° (see all student profiles of the same cycle > LINK)
BSc: Energy Engineering, Politecnico di Milano
MSc: Energy Engineering, Politecnico di Milano
Thesis abstract
My PhD project investigates decarbonization pathways for medium-scale energy-intensive industries such as tissue and paper, ceramic, glass, food, and metals. The study compares options including direct electrification, hydrogen use, and CO₂ capture, analyzing their techno-economic trade-offs. It involves modeling mass and energy balances of different industrial processes and optimizing the sizing and operation of alternative low-carbon energy systems in year-long simulations. Ultimately, the goal is to identify synthesis metrics and shared decarbonization patterns across sectors, while investigating potential synergies within industrial clusters.
Personal interest in my research theme
I enjoy working on this topic because decarbonizing industry is essential for meeting climate targets, yet remains one of the hardest sectors to abate. I am intrigued by how technical, economic, and geographic factors shape viable low-carbon pathways—especially in understudied areas, which contrast with the extensive literature on very hard-to-abate sectors, such as cement and steel. Analyzing these complex, multi-energy systems and comparing solutions across very different case studies offers both scientific depth and real-world impact, which makes this research very rewarding for me.
