# Boilers, furnaces and stoves: Overview

The quiet workhorse behind steam, steel, cement and dinner

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/overview/

What this tile covers Burning fuel for heat: industrial boilers, kilns, furnaces, gas and biomass stoves. Share of use 41% share of final energy use (2024)

Share of world total final energy consumption (about 435 EJ, calculated: motor systems 13,462 TWh are 53% of electricity, so about 25,400 TWh or 91 EJ, and electricity is about 21% of final energy) that passes through this device or is used by this sector, latest year available. Electricity-based devices use electricity's 21% share of final energy (IEA WEO 2025). Overlaps between devices and sectors are allowed and noted. Heat was almost half (taken as 48%) of world final energy in 2024. District heat supplies about 9% of final heat (IEA, 2022), and electricity, solar thermal and geothermal a further few per cent; taking about 85% of heat as coming from burning fossil fuels and biomass in boilers, furnaces, kilns and stoves gives about 41% (calculated). The 85% is an assumption consistent with these shares, not a published figure. Source: [Renewables 2025: Renewable heat](https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2025/renewable-heat), International Energy Agency.

#### Key facts

| **Chain** | Chemical → heat → steam or hot water |
|---|---|

#### Included from the reference tables

- Industrial boilers and steam systems
- Furnaces and kilns
- LPG and gas stoves
- Biomass cookstoves
- Gas boilers

#### Also in Conversion devices
[ST Steam turbines and thermal power plants](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_steam_turbines/)[CCGT Gas turbines and combined cycle](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_gas_turbines/)[ICE Internal combustion engines and gensets](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_engines/)[Gen Generators and alternators](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_generators/)[Mot Electric motors and drives](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_motors/)[PE Transformers and power electronics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/)[FC Fuel cells](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_fuel_cells/)[Elz Electrolysers](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_electrolysers/)[HP Heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_heat_pumps/)[EH Electric heating](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_electric_heat/)[LED Lighting and displays](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_lighting/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: science and limits, value chain, unit economics, engineering methods, equipment and suppliers.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and limits](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/science/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/valuechain/index.md)
- [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/economics/index.md)
- [Engineering methods](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/methods/index.md)
- [Equipment and suppliers](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/equipment/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_combustion_heat/links/index.md)