Europe faces industrial hurdles in quest to ditch fossil fuels

Electricity currently accounts for 23 percent of Europe’s final energy consumption, barely moving since 1990. In contrast, China has transformed into a global leader, pushing its share of electricity in the energy mix past 30 percent. Brussels now intends to bridge this gap by proposing concrete electrification targets and launching a decarbonisation bank to fund the transition from gas boilers to renewable-powered infrastructure.

Despite the availability of heat pumps and electric heavy machinery, the shift faces significant friction. According to Devan Pillay, president of heavy industries at Schneider Electric, the primary barriers are not technological but systemic. Beyond the slow pace of grid permitting and insufficient financial support, there is a cultural resistance among engineers deeply accustomed to combustion-based processes. Research suggests that 78 percent of industrial heat—previously categorized as too difficult to decarbonize—could be electrified using tools already on the market, yet the transition continues to lag as industries weigh the risks of abandoning legacy systems.