The story of steam

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Jun 19, 2025

Addison Stark, CEO of AtmosZero and self-proclaimed chief boilermaker, dives into the critical need for decarbonizing industrial steam, which makes up about 30% of industrial heat in the U.S. He argues that waste heat is overrated and emphasizes the potential of air-source heat pumps as viable alternatives to traditional fossil fuel boilers. The discussion reveals insights about the economics of steam production, the importance of thermal storage, and the role of electrification in reducing carbon footprints. Get ready to rethink steam!

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INSIGHT

Steam Powers Industrial Heat

Steam is the most important working fluid in industry, powering half of all industrial heat globally.
It enables compact chemical processes and has driven heating since the industrial revolution.

INSIGHT

Two Types of Industrial Steam

Industrial steam splits into saturated steam for heat delivery and superheated steam for chemical reactions.
Most heat delivery uses saturated steam at or below 225 Celsius.

INSIGHT

Boilers: Old Design, New Efficiency

Modern industrial boilers still resemble the design patented in 1867 with fossil fuels boiling water.
Efficiency and emissions have improved mainly through regulations, not core design changes.

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Addison Stark thinks waste heat is a waste of time. The real opportunity, he argues, is decarbonizing industrial steam, which accounts for roughly 30% of industrial heat in the U.S. But doing that means deploying alternatives to the fossil fuel boilers industry currently relies on.

So how do you clean up steam? And why does Addison think waste heat is overhyped?

In this episode, Shayle talks with Addison Stark, the CEO — or as he likes to call himself, chief boiler maker — of industrial heat pump startup AtmosZero. They dive into topics like:

The difference between saturated and superheated steam — and why it matters

Why fuel dominates OpEx in steam generation, and how fuel types vary across regions

How the cost of steam affects overall cost of delivered products

Why resistive boilers reached maturity ahead of heat pumps

Why standardized, air-source heat pumps are emerging as an attractive alternative to resistive boilers

The role of thermal storage combined with renewable PPAs

Why Addison thinks waste heat is a distraction for decarbonization

Resources:

Joule: To decarbonize industry, we must decarbonize heat

The Green Blueprint: Rondo Energy’s complicated path to building heat batteries

Catalyst: Solving the conundrum of industrial heat

Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor.

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