We warmly welcome them and their contributions to make our Partnership even stronger.

 

The refining sector is joining as a new sector in A.SPIRE. Concawe, acting on behalf of The European Petroleum Refiners Association, will represent the sector as an industrial association.

 We have welcomed Concawe Science Director Jean-Marc Sohier as a new A.SPIRE Board Member.

 

 

The Pulp and Paper sector joins A.SPIRE with the Confederation of the European Paper Industry (CEPI), the Forest-based Sector Technology Platform, and SAPPI Limited. Climate Change & Energy Director
Nicola Rega of Cepi has been welcomed as representing the Pulp & Paper sector on the A.SPIRE Board of Directors

 

Although DISIRE ended over two years ago, the SPIRE project is still making news! The project’s outcomes have been selected after a long and tough reviewing process by the Solar Impulse Foundation as one of their top 1000 technologies that could change our world.

The project has received a Solar Impulse Label that awards efficient, clean and profitable solutions with a positive impact on the environment and quality of life.

The DISIRE project sought to fully integrate the properties of the raw materials or product flows in process control through unique inline measuring systems and Process Analysis Technologies.

Can we turn waste CO2 into a useful product? The ICO2CHEM project aims at establishing a pathway to convert waste CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels. A series of free webinars will be released starting from September 2020 to illustrate the main project advances and the science and technology behind ICO2CHEM. 

As we are heading towards a fossil-free future using European know-how, IMPRESS will integrate selected key technologies to refine plant-based material into multiple sustainable chemicals and materials that can replace fossil-based products.

 

The FUDIPO project is ending soon. With an initial end date of October 2020, the project has been extended for a few more months due to the COVID-19 emergency.

 

FUDIPO has been working on two process optimisation platforms: one with primarily commercial software and the other using an open-source software.

 

The open-source software has the advantage that the user does not need to pay any license fees, and their own functions and integration with other platforms can be done, but at the same time the user does not get support if adjusted codes or improved functions are needed.

 

In contrast, the commercial suppliers can provide support, but with a specified cost.

Energy Symbiosis (the selling and buying of excess energy) can lead to energy efficiency improvements, CO2 and cost reductions, new revenue, jobs and local investments. However. this potential remains unexploited due to complex multi-stakeholder issues, long lead times, high transaction costs, and a range of technical, financial and legal uncertainties. INCUBIS, a 36-month project launched on 1 May 2020, will deliver an ambitious Incubator programme to help stakeholders overcome these challenges and implement Energy Symbiosis projects at local and regional levels.

Launched at the beginning of 2020, REVaMP is a 42-month Innovation Action that aims to develop, adapt and apply novel retrofitting technologies able to cope with the increasing variability of feedstock and to ensure an efficient use of materials and energy. The project will focus on three different demonstrator use cases from the metal making industry.

A cruicial element of Processes4Planet`s path to climate neutrality, zero waste, full circularity and international competitiveness for the EU process industries is the development of regional Hubs4Circularity.

 

This concept foresees and requires active involvement of all stakeholders: industry organised in value chains across sectors, research organisations, public authorities and the wider society. 

On 3 September, the Commission presented an Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials, the 2020 List of Critical Raw Materials and a foresight study on critical raw materials for strategic technologies and sectors from the 2030 and 2050 perspectives.