Our SynoProtein project aims to develop, mature and demonstrate a novel carbon-negative process that enables high value creation from sawmill by-products through carbon capture and use (CCU). The consortium has developed an innovative process for the vertical integration of by-products from sawmill industry, i.e. feedstocks comprising only residues (no sawlogs), and conversion into fish feed ingredients, i.e. single cell protein (SCP), along with the production of biochar for animal feed. Thus, our process can provide novel, sustainable protein sources, as opposed to conventional energy- and climate-intensive soybean and resource-limited wild fish protein production routes to meet future demands. SynoProtein will demonstrate that 1.25 tons (t) of CO2-e can be captured from syngas via CCU for each dry-ton sawmill by-products processed. This clearly makes our SynoProtein innovation unique and is why it will introduce a green paradigm shift for the recycling and commercialisation of low-value by-products feedstocks into high-value bio-products. This project joins together a balanced consortium of 11 partners, covering the whole SynoProtein value chain, from industry, academia, and research institutes, which spread to 4 different European countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany), but with worldwide operation with their sister companies. Overall, we expect carbon capture of 200kt of CO2-e from syngas annually with our process by 2033, recovering 160kt/year of forest residues and producing 120kt/year of fish/animal feed for industry, valued at €175m. This also represents 260 jobs created in EU and reduced 120kt per year imported feed ingredient from other continents. Compared to fish feed production from soybeans, our SynoProtein is also expected to save carbon emission of 458kt CO2-e, land use of 147km2, and water use of 630,700m3 by 2033. It fits strongly with the mission of the CBE JU “advancing a competitive bioeconomy for a sustainable future”.

Sodium-ion batteries offer enhanced cost-effectiveness and sustainability, challenging the dominance of lithium batteries in the stationary energy storage sector. The SPRINT project will gather 8 industries, 2 SMEs and 8 academic partners (incl. one associated partner) for 46 months to optimise and demonstrate two sustainable, techno-economically viable and safe quasi-solid-state sodium-ion batteries better meeting the requirements of stationary energy storage applications. This will be achieved relying on abundant, non-toxic, safe, and competitive materials available in EU supply chains brought to scale within SPRINT, i.e. optimised NFP cathode materials relying on novel synthesis; hard-carbon materials derived from a validated forest residues supply chain in Northern Europe; and quasi-solid-state polymer and polymer composite electrolytes with a solvent-free synthesis, and which are major advancements vs. flammable liquid electrolytes. Strategic interface optimisations will be leveraged to meet end-users’ requirements in terms of cells’ cycle life. SPRINT also aims to bring to scale dry electrode processing (incl. using PFAS-free binders) to enhance the sustainability of battery manufacturing. Batteries encompassing such solutions will be demonstrated on two demonstration sites in Austria (portfolio hybridisation, balancing services) and Lithuania (residential PV, increased grid capacity for EV chargers), and SPRINT will also engage with international use-case providers (e.g. Morrocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, etc.). All in all, it is foreseen that SPRINT will reduce costs (0.04€/kWh/cycle), enhance energy density (>200Wh/kg & >420Wh/L) and power metrics (>500 W/kg), improve cells' cycle life (projected >5,000 cycles), while ensuring safe operation (leak-free technology) for a high market penetration. The Consortium will accompany all solutions to commercialisation, supported by the created Exploitation Board to facilitate their uptake.