ExpectedOutcome:
Projects outcomes will enable achievement of the objectives of Processes4Planet partnership by enhancing process industries energy efficiency, ensuring process flexibility and capturing the full potential of renewable energy (related to P4Planet operational objective 1).
Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
- Energy intensive industries will be enabled to increase their energy efficiency through optimisation of thermal energy flows between processes, minimizing losses and using all levels of energy;
- Demonstrate highly process-integrated solutions that offer better opportunities to increase energy efficiency and reduce investment cost of high temperature installations;
- Demonstrate a substantial increase in flexibility of the processes;
- Contribute to achieving EU Climate neutrality goal and becoming independent from fossil fuel and fossil fuel imports as put forward in the REPowerEU Plan[1];
- Enable the increase of the competitiveness and resilience of the European process industry.
Scope:
More than 60%[2] of the overall energy used in the process industry is process heating. The topic focuses on highly process-integrated technologies that allow heat recovery and use of high temperature installations. Heat storage, when needed, should be intermediary only. One example could be the adaptation and integration of heat pumps for high temperature (150-250 °C) applications for large thermal capacity (~1-20 MW), but not only – examples could also encompass the direct use of excess heat by e.g., the adaptation and integration of advanced heat exchangers.
The proposals under this topic should:
- Demonstrate the efficient integration and adaptation of heat exchanger or heat pumps into high temperature processes and equipment taking energy not only from air but also warm materials or liquid flows;
- Use high safety standard technologies and fluids with low environmental impact;
- Consider, where necessary, the use of advanced materials in the process development;
- Demonstrate the decrease of energy intensity of output level (intermediate, final product).
The inclusion of a GHG avoidance methodology[3] is recommended and should provide detailed description of baselines and projected reductions.
The heat power generation is out of the scope of this topic. The proposals should include energy efficiency, techno-economic and life-cycle assessments considering the overall process.
Proposals submitted under this topic should include a sound business case and strong exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. As a project output a more elaborated exploitation plan should be developed including preliminary plans for scalability, commercialisation and deployment (feasibility study, business plan and financial model). This should also include the assessment of possible societal and environmental impact and implications for the workplace (such as skills, organisational change).
Research must build on existing standards or contribute to standardisation. Where relevant, interoperability for data sharing should be addressed.
Proposals should build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant European, national, or regional initiatives, funding programmes and platforms.
This topic implements the co-programmed European partnership Processes4Planet.
Specific Topic Conditions:
Activities are expected to start at TRL 5 and achieve TRL 7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1]COM/2022/230 final
[2]https://www.sintef.no/globalassets/sintef-energi/industrial-heat-pump-w…
[3]That could follow Innovation Fund methodology: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/innovfund/wp-call/2021/call-annex_c_innovfund-lsc-2021_en.pdf
