The choice of thermal carrier is critical to ensure optimal manufacturing and processing says AESHistorically steam, fuelled by coal, has been the most prevalent thermal carrier in South African industry. When it comes to the correct choice of thermal carrier, Williams believes many questions must be asked: “How is steam being used? How much of that facility is aligned with steam – and how much with another thermal carrier? Steaming aheadSteam remains the most user-friendly thermal carrier. “Thermal oil therefore has specific applications, where higher temperatures can be achieved than when using a typical industrial process steam application.