The ColdSpark project will validate a novel non-thermal plasma technology to produce hydrogen at an industrial scale from methane, with a process energy efficiency of 79%, achieving a conversion rate of 85% with zero CO2 emissions. This will be achieved by designing an industrial relevant reactor that leverages the best features of the non-thermal plasma technologies, gliding arc and corona discharge, to ensure high efficiency and scalability. The innovation addresses for the first time the critical step of matching the reactor with a pulsed power supply. It enables a perfect fine-tuning of the cracking process parameters, to find the right electron density and energy distribution in the plasma reactor, to maximise energy efficiency. The up- and downstream gas management will be optimised to further contribute to the system’s compatibility to existing infrastructure. The project will develop and test a novel plasma reactor at lab scale and validate it in conjunction with the power supply at large-scale, pursuing the industry’s most power efficient generation of hydrogen alongside high-value carbon. The technology will assess its application for both, natural gas and biomethane producers. A low energy cost (< 15 kWh/kg H2 produced) without the need for catalysts and water, makes the proposed solution the most cost-competitive, environment-friendly, and less complex to implement. The reactor design and modularity bring lower CAPEX and OPEX and make it easily scalable and flexible. The project gathers the expertise of a mix of academic, research, and industrial partners from five countries, which bring both outstanding research and topic competence, as well as knowledge and access to the solution for end-user industries.

BiogasAction aim to serve as vehicle for the development of the European biogas sector and thereby contribute to the EU 2020 targets by focusing on removing non-technical barriers to widespread production of biogas/biomethane from manure and other waste. Central driver is the cooperation between different policy levels at EU, national and regional level. The project will boost biogas development in the target regions in conjunction with replication efforts & promotion at broad EU scale. BiogasAction key activity & expected impact: • A web portal containing EU-wide biogas market overview, technical biogas and biomethane information and experience of EU/national biogas projects, case studies and free on-line/off-line biogas tools • Biogas and biomethane intervention strategy plans in the 9 target regions • Replication of the project in 5 EU countries/regions • A guidance document for investors about financing biogas/biomethane project and reducing investment risk. • A guidance document for policy and decision makers and for local authorities/municipalities, to enable them to improve national framework conditions for biogas and biomethane deployment • Definition and support of a total of 50 high quality, sustainable biogas projects in the 9 target regions. • 3 peer learning European workshops focusing on key competence areas (80 participants), 1 European roundtable about advanced biogas applications, organisation of at least 1 national energy info day in each target region, with more than 100 participants/event • 3-4 events/training courses per target region for public administration aimed to improve the framework, including follow-up of the recommendations • 2-4 events/training courses per target region aimed to raise the public acceptance • A local training package incl. use of training material from previous projects • Series of 6-8 trainings in each of the 9 target regions on specific topics for biogas plant operators • Final event on project achievements

NoAW : No Agro-Waste. Innovative approaches to turn agricultural waste into ecological and economic assets. Driven by a “near zero-waste” society requirement, the goal of NoAW project is to generate innovative efficient approaches to convert growing agricultural waste issues into eco-efficient bio-based products opportunities with direct benefits for both environment, economy and EU consumer. To achieve this goal, the NoAW concept relies on developing holistic life cycle thinking able to support environmentally responsible R&D innovations on agro-waste conversion at different TRLs, in the light of regional and seasonal specificities, not forgetting risks emerging from circular management of agro-wastes (e.g. contaminants accumulation). By involving all agriculture chain stakeholders in a territorial perspective, the project will: (1) develop innovative eco-design and hybrid assessment tools of circular agro-waste management strategies and address related gap of knowledge and data via extensive exchange through the Knowledge exchange Stakeholders Platform, (2) develop breakthrough knowledge on agro-waste molecular complexity and heterogeneity in order to upgrade the most widespread mature conversion technology (anaerobic digestion) and to synergistically eco-design robust cascading processes to fully convert agro-waste into a set of high added value bio-energy, bio-fertilizers and bio-chemicals and building blocks, able to substitute a significant range of non-renewable equivalents, with favourable air, water and soil impacts and (3) get insights of the complexity of potentially new, cross-sectors, business clusters in order to fast track NoAW strategies toward the field and develop new business concepts and stakeholders platform for cross-chain valorisation of agro-waste on a territorial and seasonal basis.