Data is central for energy research and analysis. Unfortunately, energy data is often difficult to find, mixed in different repositories, and generally fragmented. This results in a lack of efficiency for research and energy transition management. EnerMaps aims to improve data availability, data quality, and data management for industry (in particular renewable technology industry), energy planners, energy utilities, energy managers, energy consultants, public administration officers specialised in the energy sector and policy decision makers as well as social innovation experts and data providers, applying FAIR principles. To this end, we focus on three axes: a) The creation of two tools working in conjunction: a scientific community dashboard providing a critical mass of energy datasets in one common tool, and a data management tool providing a quality-check selection of crucial data with an integrated visualization and calculation modules. Both tools will be freely accessible to all users. b) Scientific communication: we increase current capacities of publicly-financed R&I projects to communicate their newly created datasets through enrichment and promotion activities. The aim is to increase the probability of seeing these datasets reused. c) Capacity building on data management: an extensive set of formation is organized for lead-user representatives. The use of action-learning techniques and the application of a “train the trainer” approach ensures the efficiency of the training programs. The project collaborates actively with European-wide data management initiatives such as the European Open Science Cloud Initiative and integrates actively its future users into the development of the different tools to insure their usefulness.

PVOP aims at an innovative digitalisation of the PV sector at European scale developing and demonstrating 8 novel technical solutions that will allow to increase the performance of PV systems by 4.7%, reduce the O&M costs by 32% and increase utility-friendly integration with storage. PVOP rationale will be implemented on the basis of operational data record of real PV systems totalling more than 11GW. Advance artificial intelligence and big data methods will be developed to analyse these data together with a deep experience team to establish the cause-effect relationships in system failures. There, on the one hand, these methods will be the core to develop the technical solutions, and on the other hand, open science techniques will help to identify the PV sector needs that will also be considered in such development. The 8 solutions will be validated in 2 phases: 1) controlled environments, and 2) real PV systems. This validation process will be monitored and evaluated with 30 KPIs until TRL 7 is reached. Later on, these 8 technical solutions will be offered to the entire EU PV sector, maximising the impact of the project and making reliable the generation of the expected electricity for longtime. As a consequence of the developments and activities performed in PVOP, the PV sector will have the profitability necessary to meet the EU objectives producing the TWh expected and being leader in the creation of an autonomous and climate-neutral energy system.

The Circular Fuels project integrates concentrated solar heat, solar electrical energy, and thermochemical conversion of bio-based waste materials to produce sustainable aviation fuels. Coupling concentrated solar heat with fast pyrolysis to produce sustainable aviation fuels has not yet been achieved and requires technological innovation. Waste wood (A+B) and agricultural residues (straw), listed in the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII Annex IX), will be used as cheap and abundant bio-based waste material feedstocks. The feedstock will be first converted into renewable bio-oil in the new solar assisted fast pyrolysis. The use of solar energy removes the need to burn any fraction of the pyrolysis products to heat the pyrolysis process. The solar pyrolysis will produce valuable by-products, such as biochar, that can improve the economics of the process. The pyrolysis oil will be stabilized and upgraded to reduce the oxygen content to close to zero by slurry hydrotreatment and hydrodeoxygenation. These processes will employ green hydrogen, produced using optimized solar photovoltaic-assisted water proton exchange membrane electrolysis. Finally, the oil will be fractionated into sustainable transportation fuels by distillation. Our main objective is to maximize the fraction of jet fuel. In addition, we will analyze all component fractions suitable as transportation bio-fuel products, such as gasoline and diesel, to maximize the profitability of the concept. The proposed new thermal pyrolysis process pathway is not yet standardized for ASTM D7566 (Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons). Therefore, we will perform compatibility and turbine combustion tests for the required standardization and inclusion into ASTM D7566. We aim for a sustainable aviation fuel production price of 1.5 €/kg. We will analyze the sustainability aspects of the technology and give policy recommendations for successful commercialization.

RAPID will save lives by delivering an early warning system that will detect critical deterioration in transport system infrastructure, while also minimising system disruption and delays to critical supply chains. It will achieve this goal by combining and extending state-of-the-art drone technology to deliver a fully automated and safety assured maintenance-inspection (MI) service for bridge inspection, ship hull surveys and more. By combining self-sailing unmanned surface vehicles (USV) with swarms of autonomous unmanned aerial systems (UAS), RAPID will dramatically cut the time and cost of structural condition monitoring. RAPID-enabled MI services will increase efficiency and competitiveness for maritime transport stakeholders – such as ports, shipping companies, and landside transport authorities – and will deliver the safe and seamless operation of supply chain and mobility infrastructures – such as material handling equipment, cargo and passenger ships, and bridges. It encourages prioritisation of safer transport infrastructure where the technology seeks to improve environmental impact. The attractive return on investment will enable RAPID to gain market traction and incentivise commercial proliferation, bringing RAPID into widespread use for the overall benefit of society. By 2028, a newly formed company will generate €124 million and save in the order of 100 lives per year (reaching c. 20% share of the serviceable addressable maritime transport market through strategic partnership with 50 ports). RAPID brings together interdisciplinary partners with the expertise and capacity required to develop and validate this unique service model. The project will develop the consolidated maritime and aviation regulation standard for safe USV / UAS operations and the business model to scale the pilot service. RAPID will validate the high level of digitalisation, automation, and regulation required to support safe, beneficial, and scalable access to U-Space.

LNG utilisation in shipping is increasing and has direct effects namely benefits on air quality and human health. Moreover, CO2 emission is lower with gas use compared to diesel fuels, but ‘methane slip’ may form in gas combustion. The low-pressure dual fuel concept is the most popular LNG engine technology and unfortunately also the technology producing methane slip. Therefore, development of methane slip reduction technologies for these low-pressure dual fuel cases is the focus of this project. To assess the methane emissions from shipping the GREEN RAY project will combine existing data collection with onboard measurements to address existing vessels and new builds, normal operation and varying loads, and further utilise these results in a model development to achieve LNG fleet level assessment. To prevent the methane slip, the strong consortium of GREEN RAY will develop on-engine technologies for low pressure dual fuel engines and aftertreatment technologies for the existing vessels as well as newbuilds. First, the four stroke engine technology is developed further to enable methane slip reduction at all engine loads and to be applicable to the largest engines in the market involving cruise, ferry and gas carriers. Second, the on-engine technology development for the two stroke engine, around a patented LNG injection system, will aim to significantly reduce methane slip from e.g. tankers and container ships. Third, a unique approach of a sulphur resistant catalyst system to significant methane oxidation while also ensuring that the activity remains high over time. The achievements of these three technologies' development will be demonstrated onboard two new builds and one retrofit to existing vessel, all of them targeting TRL 7, and implementing the partnership on ZEWT. Dissemination and exploitation of GREEN RAY results towards acknowledged target groups will enable wide deployment of the new technologies maximising also the benefits for climate.