In the long haul transport sector, the reduction of real driving emissions and fuel consumption is the main societal challenge. The LONGRUN project will contribute to lower the impacts by developing different engines, drivelines and demonstrator vehicles with 10% energy saving (TtW) and related CO2, 30% lower emission exhaust (NOx, CO and others), and 50% Peak Thermal Efficiency. A second achievement will be the multiscale simulation framework to support the design and development of efficient powertrains, including hybrids for both trucks and coaches. With the proposed initiatives a leading position in hybrid powertrain technology and Internal Combustion Engine operating on renewable fuels in Europe will be guaranteed. A single solution is not enough to achieve these targets. The LONGRUN project brings together leading OEMs of trucks and coaches and their suppliers and research partners, to develop a set of innovations and applications, and to publish major roadmaps for technology and fuels in time for the revision of the CO2 emission standards for heavy duty vehicles in 2022 to support decision making with most recent and validated results and to make recommendations for future policies. The OEMs will develop 8 demonstrators (3 engines, 1 hybrid drivelines, 2 coaches and 3 trucks); within them technical sub-systems and components will be demonstrated, including electro-hybrid drives, optimised ICEs and aftertreatment systems for alternative and renewable fuels, electric motors, smart auxiliaries, on-board energy recuperation and storage devices and power electronics. This includes concepts for connected and digitalised fleet management, predictive maintenance and operation in relation to electrification where appropriate to maximise the emissions reduction potential. The 30 partners will accelerate the transition from fossil-based fuels to alternative and renewable fuels and to a strong reduction of fossil-based CO2 and air pollutant emissions in Europe

Rapid up-scaling and deployment of more cost-efficient and sustainable carbon capture solutions is needed to reduce the emissions of CO2-intensive industries. Solvent-based carbon capture is an important technology that can be readily adopted to many emission sources. Such technology can achieve high capture rates and deliver CO2 at high purity with a relatively low energy demand. In AURORA the open and non-proprietary CESAR1 solvent technology will be optimised and qualified for commercial deployment. The technology will be demonstrated at TRL7-8 for three CO2 intensive industries: refining, cement, and materials recycling, for which there are few other options to achieve climate neutrality. The partners will demonstrate negligible environmental impact (emissions being a potential issue for solvent technology), capture rates at 98%, and capture costs reduced by at least 47% compared to a benchmark process with the MEA solvent. This will be achieved due to the following innovations: 1) Holistic optimisation of solvent composition, process design, emission monitoring and control, and solvent management, 2) Validated models for use in commercial process simulators 3) enhanced waste heat integration with carbon capture for reduced external heat demand and operational costs 4) Improved and integrated advanced control system for reduced OPEX and optimised performances. These innovations will be integrated in four optimised capture processes and various aspects will be demonstrated in pilots of various size and complexity. The partners will ensure transferability of results to other CO2 intensive industries thanks to the large variations in CO2 source and developed clusters addressed in the project and a strong stakeholder participation. The project will also do full CCUS chain assessments for its end-users. It is noteworthy that the end-users are situated in two different regions of Europe offering different conditions for the implementation of CCUS value chains.

In RETRIEVE we aim to combine PV upstream value chain organizations with beyond state-of-the-art recycling processes and techniques to improve circularity within the PV sector. RETRIEVE targets the upcycling of the components of the End of Life (EoL) solar panels, enhancing the material quality to meet current requirements for re-introduction into the PV value chain. RETRIEVE will increase the circularity and minimize the environmental impact of the PV industry by developing and demonstrating cost effective recycling technologies for the different components of a solar module; recycle glass to current PV specifications, purify production waste and EoL silicon to solar grade quality, recover silver and heavy metals, and polymer valorization with carbon capture. The final goal is to demonstrate a closed-loop recycling process where recycled glass as well as silicon is re-used in state-of-the-art solar module production, turning the EoL PV panels into sources of new raw materials for the PV manufacture industry. In addition, future PV waste streams for EoL and production waste will be forecasted, and the market potential will be evaluated. By lowering the financial burden of material recovery and increasing the value after recovery, RETRIEVE makes the overall module recycling process more profitable, and the project opens new paths for commercialization. Business cases and market introduction strategies will be developed for a selection of the processes and products.

INDHEAP project will demonstrate at TRL7 that it is worth considering solar thermal (ST) and photovoltaic (PV) energies in combination to address the heat and power needs of mid temperature industrial processes, up to 250°C. As for it, INDHEAP will highlight the synergy between the different technologies with the development and integration of a core flexible Thermal Energy Storage, boosted by electric heaters (named e-TES) that is the key for a rational use of thermal and electrical solar renewable energy. The project will rely on the development of specific methodology and tools, tested on different case studies from industrial project’s partners, as to : 1) reduce heat and power peak demands with an optimization of the current energy efficiency for the industrial process, (best use of waste heat and analyse of demand’s elasticity) 2) define the best share between ST and PV based on technical-eco-environmental criteria 3) define the ST-PV hybrid system’s architecture, the presizing of components, and the global control maximizing the use of solar heat and power. 4) develop the specific components for the best integration and use of ST and PV plants in synergy, e.g. the flexible e-TES, but also PV panels integration enablers, low cost / mid temperature solar collectors and a smart hybrid controller for heat and power joined management. A prototype (ST up to 300 kWth, PV up to 20 kWp, e-TES up to 1 MWh) will be installed on an industrial process of lubricants blending, owned by Total Energies in Spain, to validate the concept at TRL7 with a one year test campaign. The replicability of the demo is hundreds of equivalent sites. Finally, from results gained, a global upscaling and replication potential across the South Europe and MENA areas will be achieved to assess the societal and economic benefits of the concept to meet the Net Zero by 2050 ambitions. INDHEAP will support the EU in reducing dependency to natural gas, while reaching climate targets

ACCSESS – providing access to cost-efficient, replicable, safe and flexible CCUS. Main objectives: 1)Demonstrate, at TRL7, and integrate cost-efficient CO2 capture and use in industrial installations, to enable permanent Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) 2)Provide access routes for CO2 captured from European industries to the flexible transport and storage infrastructures under development in the North Sea 3)Leverage on CDR to drive societal integration of CCUS towards urban and European sustainability ACCSESS takes a cross-sectorial approach, addressing Pulp and Paper, Cement, Waste to Energy, and Biorefining, that all have the potential to contribute to CDR. ACCSESS will test at TRL7 the combination of an environmentally benign, enzymatic solvent (regenerated at 80oC) and a Rotary Packed Bed (RPB) absorber. Tests at 2 tpd CO2 captured will be done at a pulp and paper mill in Sweden and a cement kiln in Poland. Recarbonation of demolition concrete fines will be demonstrated at TRL7 (CCU). CCUS chains from inland Europe and the Baltics to the North Sea will be developed and optimized, with an open-source tool. Low pressure ship-based CO2 transport (7 bar) for 50% cost cuts is developed, and also safe CO2 loading and offloading. The ACCSESS concept is centred around the project vision to Develop replicable CCUS pathways towards a Climate Neutral Europe in 2050. ACCSESS will improve CO2 capture integration in industrial installations (20-30% cost cuts) as a key element to accelerate CCUS implementation, address the full CCUS chain and the societal integration of CCUS. ACCSESS has the ambition unleash the ability of CCUS to contribute to the ambitious EU Green Deal transformation strategy. The project is dedicated to developing viable industrial CCUS business models. ACCSESS will engage with citizens and citizens, explaining how CCUS can contribute to the production of climate neutral or climate positive end-products in a sustainable cities' context.