Efficient energy input from renewable sources and energy management in the process industries (IA) (Processes4Planet and Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU partnerships)

From the Commission's own budget table for this call. Confirm against the topic page before you plan around it: these move when a work programme is amended.

Expected Outcome: A significant decarbonisation of processes (measured by the reduction of GHG emissions from the overall system) with broad applicability and economic viability. Facilitation of the transition from fossil-based energy inputs for: low/medium thermal energy demands by introducing renewable-based alternatives and heat upgrading. High-temperature processes, by innovative technologies for electrified and hybrid high-temperature processes, high temperature energy storage. Clean energy usage is given a boost through innovative advanced materials, system concepts and technologies for energy integration and energy storage, supporting resilience against energy supply variations Combination of significant energy savings and integrated management of energy systems and production processes Scope: Most processes in the process industries require significant energy inputs which currently lead to substantial GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by the process industries. The reduction of the CO2 footprint can be achieved by several measures, e.g. electrification or use of other renewable sources of energy, lowering of the energy demand, increasing energy efficiency, and energy integration. This topic aims to lead to significant steps in reducing the CO2 footprint by technological innovations, at least by 20%. A key problem in the use of renewable energy sources is their fluctuation over time. Projects should take this into account and develop solutions that aim for energy efficiency and include novel storage technologies of relevance to the process industries. Pure demand-side management by production schedules adapted to the supply of electricity from renewable sources is not within the scope of the call. In situations where full electrification is not feasible or competitive in the foreseeable future, sustainable hybrid solutions play a crucial role. These solutions enhance flexibility, allowing industries to manage the variability in the availability of affordable renewable electricity, which is expected to fluctuate significantly in the medium term. E.g., preheating processes can utilize fossil-free energy sources such as solar heat, geothermal heat, heat pumps, resistive or induction heating, and electric boilers. This initial stage can be followed by further heating using fossil-based methods initially, and later transitioning to renewable-based combustion processes to achieve the required process temperatures. To enhance resilience, the capture, storage, and management of energy flows should be tailored to the needs of the process industry. This may in…