Certainty doesn’t come from broad promises. It comes from asking clear, direct questions, the kind that separate risk from opportunity and give decision-makers a solid basis for action. 

We’ve put together five that matter most.

1. Why switch from gas to electric heating? 

Dilip Chandrasekaran, Director of Business Development, Kanthal.When emissions, efficiency, stability, and safety are all included, electrification consistently offers a stronger business case.

• Zero Scope 1 emissions: No on-site combustion.
• Scope 2 reductions: Nearly carbon-free when paired with fossil-free electricity.
• Efficiency: Close to 100% thermal efficiency, compared to major exhaust losses in gas.
• Process stability: Faster, more precise temperature and process control.
• Maintenance: No combustion byproducts, fewer breakdowns, less downtime.
• Cost stability: Ability to secure long-term fossil-free electricity contracts, avoiding gas price volatility.
• Regulation: Reduced exposure to rising carbon costs and border adjustment rules.
• Safety: No open flames, leaks, or combustion risks.

“Industries worldwide see electrification as a way to improve efficiency and strengthen operations. The companies that take this step now will define the next era of industrial heating,” remarks Dilip Chandrasekaran, Director of Business Development at Kanthal.

2. Which processes are ready for electrification?

Not every process needs to switch at the same time. The best results come from focusing on those where electrification is already proven and delivers the greatest impact, such as:

• Steel: Annealing, galvanizing, pickling, roller hearth, walking beam, and pusher furnaces.
• Aluminum: Melting, holding, and tilting furnaces.
• Automotive heat treatment: Carburizing, carbo-nitriding, annealing, tempering, and RTO units.
• Glass: Forehearths and batch processing.

Kanthal is also developing/testing electric process gas heating solutions for upstream steelmaking (such as DRI and blast furnaces), cement calcination, and petrochemicals, opening the door to electrification in areas once thought out of reach.

3. What infrastructure changes will be required?

Electrification often raises immediate concerns: do we have the power, and how disruptive will the change be? Both questions can be addressed with planning.

• Power supply: Assess your grid capacity and transformers. If upgrades are needed, factor them in early.
• Retrofit vs. rebuild: Many furnaces can be electrified with modular solutions such as Fibrothal® modules, Tubothal® heating elements, Globar® silicon carbide (SiC) heating elements, or Kanthal Super® molybdenum disilicide (MoSi₂) heating elements, without tearing everything out.
• Downtime: Align conversion with scheduled outages. A phased retrofit avoids production shock.
• Energy sourcing: Electrifying with non-fossil-free electricity moves emissions elsewhere; therefore, the source is crucial.

“An existing furnace can be retrofitted by replacing gas burners with tubes and electric heating elements, with only minor modifications,” explains Chandrasekaran. “This step alone improves efficiency, process stability, and the work environment.”

By proactively identifying bottlenecks, employing modular design strategies, and implementing phased execution, infrastructure becomes a manageable component rather than an obstacle.

4. Who are the key stakeholders?

Arthur Moslow, Global Electrification Project Manager, Kanthal.Electrification is a multifaceted initiative that requires collaboration across multiple departments. Its impact extends to strategic planning, budgeting, operations, and customer relations. These voices must be involved from the start:

• Engineers and technical specialists: To evaluate design, process fit, and integration with existing systems.
• Operations and maintenance teams: To ensure feasibility, reliability, and uptime in daily production.
• Finance and procurement: To assess ROI, electricity sourcing, and long-term cost stability.
• Sustainability and compliance teams: To link the project with corporate climate targets and regulatory frameworks.
• Primary customer contacts: To connect the shift with customer expectations.
• Executive decision-makers: To anchor electrification as a board-level investment, not just an engineering upgrade.

The fastest projects are those where corporate strategy, site-level expertise, and technical insight are aligned from the start. Electrification isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a business transformation.

“The success of the conversion process relies on effective communication and collaboration among key stakeholders, including the main customer contact, customer management, and those spearheading green initiatives. Understanding the motivations behind the conversion, whether driven by corporate-wide green initiatives or specific site-based goals, is essential for a seamless transition,” Arthur Moslow, Global Electrification Project Manager at Kanthal, insists.

5. Why should Kanthal be your electrification partner?

Electrification may sound like a newfangled idea to some, but Kanthal has had proven solutions running in industry for decades.

Making the switch requires confidence that the technology will perform, the materials will last, and the partner you choose will be there for the long run. That’s what Kanthal offers.

• Proven experience: More than 90 years dedicated to advancing industrial heating solutions worldwide.
• Broad portfolio: An extensive range of resistance heating alloys and ready-to-use elements to cover a wide range of furnaces, atmospheres, and temperature requirements.
• Technical depth: In-house R&D and testing to match materials and designs to the toughest process conditions.
• Customization: Tailored designs to meet specific industrial needs, from small retrofits to large-scale conversions.
• Global support: Engineering, service, and technical assistance across key industrial regions.

“Electrification may sound like a newfangled idea to some, but Kanthal has had proven solutions running in industry for decades,” assures Moslow.

Electrification is no longer a question of if. The only real question is how prepared you are to make the right move. When you’re ready to take that step, Kanthal will be there, with the experience, the technology, and the commitment to move forward together.