Abstract
Achieving climate targets requires sustainable solutions for industrial process heat, a sector that is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. This study systematically reviews how energy system models address the heat decarbonisation of industrial processes since 2018. The study focuses on the representation of direct and indirect electrification, technology options and the role of energy flexibility in the modelling of the transition to sustainable energy systems. The analysis reveals a preference for direct electrification in literature, while also exploring the potential of indirect electrification using hydrogen. Although flexibility is recognised as crucial, research specifically targeting industrial process heat flexibility remains limited. The results show that further research into the electrification potential at process level, an examination of the different modelling approaches and studies with a regional focus are needed to close these gaps and enable a comprehensive, flexibility-oriented transition to sustainable industrial heat generation.