After Electrification,what powers the system?

After Electrification: What Powers the System? There is a growing belief that everything — including steel — can be fully electrified in Australia. Electrification is indeed essential and delivers rapid, low-cost emissions reduction where energy demand is flexible and interruptible. However, electrification alone does not close the energy system. 1. Electrification Is Necessary — but Not Sufficient Electrification works exceptionally well for low- and mid-temperature processes, buildings, and flexible industrial loads. Heat pumps, electric furnaces, and thermal storage are already displacing gas with strong economic outcomes. These solutions represent the first half of the decarbonization process. 2. System vs Surroundings: The Missing Boundary Most electrification pathways implicitly rely on the surrounding system for stability — surplus renewables, legacy firm generation, fuels for backup, and seasonal balancing. When these are excluded from the boundary, electrification appears complete even though fuels remain essential. 3. Why Steel Cannot Be ‘Electrons Only.’ Steel production requires continuous, high-temperature energy, chemical reduction, and material stability. While electric arc furnaces are suitable for recycled scrap, primary steel production still requires a reducing agent and a stable energy supply. Electrons alone cannot provide carbon chemistry, seasonal storage, or an uninterrupted baseload at the national scale. 4. Carbon Recycling Technology (CRT): Completing Electrification CRT converts renewable electricity into renewable fuel by recycling carbon in a closed loop. Renewable hydrogen provides energy, carbon acts as the carrier, and CO2 is continuously recycled. This enables firm, dispatchable power and industrial heat without fossil fuel extraction. 5. A Complete Net-Zero Stack • Direct electrification – lowest-cost abatement • Short-duration storage – flexibility • Renewable fuels (CRT) – baseload and industrial continuity • Carbon recycling – system closure and permanence Conclusion Electrification changes how energy is delivered. Carbon recycling changes what energy is made of. Together, they form a complete, thermodynamically sound pathway to true net- zero — including steel.