In the ARBAHEAT project an existing 731 MWe Ultra-SuperCritical coal-fired power plant will be transformed into a biomass-fired Combined Heat and Power plant by repowering with thermally-treated biomass produced on-site. This demonstration encompasses: (1) Transformation into CHP: This will be demonstrated by delivering a minor amount of heat to the on-site biomass treatment process, while envisaging large-volume heat delivery to nearby industry. This will provide renewable local heat, enhancing the overall efficiency of the plant from 46% electricity-only to 70-90% in CHP mode, (2) Biomass feedstock: An integrated thermal pre-treatment process will enable utilisation of diverse sustainable biomass feedstock. This will minimise investment and operating cost while broadening the possibilities in term of geographical feedstock sourcing and quality (3) Biomass pre-treatment: The thermal biomass upgrading process of ARBAFLAME will deliver biomass fuel with handling and milling characteristics approaching that of coal, allowing for retrofitting with minimal adaptations to the existing power plant. The technical capacity of the demonstration plant will allow for maximum flexibility in upscaling the technology for future replication, (4) Integration into power plant: The biomass pre-treatment and heat delivery system will be physically integrated within the existing power plant. Eliminating several cost and energy intensive steps (steam production, pelletizing) will be investigated, towards more cost-effective final design. This demonstration of an integrated very low-costs concept in large-scale energy production will pave the way to subsequent multiplication in commercial industrial projects, thus increasing the EU capacity for renewable power and heat generation. The renewable ARBAHEAT solution therefore has the potential to significantly contribute to the replacement of fossil-fuel in the heat and power sectors and increase the decarbonisation of the energy market.

TO-SYN-FUEL will demonstrate the conversion of organic waste biomass (Sewage Sludge) into biofuels. The project implements a new integrated process combining Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR©), with hydrogen separation through pressure swing adsorption (PSA), and hydro deoxygenation (HDO), to produce a fully equivalent gasoline and diesel substitute (compliant with EN228 and EN590 European Standards) and green hydrogen for use in transport . The TO-SYN-FUEL project consortium has undoubtedly bought together the leading researchers, industrial technology providers and renewable energy experts from across Europe, in a combined, committed and dedicated research effort to deliver the overarching ambition. Building and extending from previous framework funding this project is designed to set the benchmark for future sustainable development and growth within Europe and will provide a real example to the rest of the world of how sustainable energy, economic, social and environmental needs can successfully be addressed. This project will be the platform for deployment of a subsequent commercial scale facility. This will be the first of its kind to be built anywhere in the world, processing organic industrial wastes directly into transportation grade biofuels fuels which will be a demonstration showcase for future sustainable investment and economic growth across Europe. This project will mark the first pre-commercial scale deployment of the technology processing up to 2100 tonnes per year of dried sewage sludge into 210,000 litres per year of liquid biofuels and up to 30,000 kg of green hydrogen. The scale up of 100 of such plants installed throughout Europe would be sufficient to convert up to 32 million tonnes per year of organic wastes into sustainable biofuels, contributing towards 35 million tonnes of GHG savings and diversion of organic wastes from landfill. This proposal is responding to the European Innovation Call LCE-19.

PUSH-IT will showcase full-scale application of high temperature heat storage (up to 90°C) in geothermal reservoirs using 3 different technologies at 6 different sites. The 3 technologies addressed in PUSH-IT are relevant for different reservoir types, which are available everywhere in Europe. In PUSH-IT we will develop, deploy and test our technologies for a variety of configurations of heat sources, heat storage technologies, geological conditions, distribution systems, stakeholder populations and market and legal conditions. Hence, PUSH-IT provides a unique scope on demonstration, integration and advances for seasonal heat storage that are relevant across Europe. These results will enhance the utilisation of sustainable energy and create a balanced system for sharing benefits and burdens tied to sustainable heat generation, storage and distribution activities. We will reduce environmental impact, levelised cost of energy and risks and improve performance and robustness via development and demonstration of several enabling technologies, i.e., newly developed monitoring and water quality control and novel drilling and completion and novel control systems. Societal engagement is a key element and achieved via citizen engagement, analysing motivations and perceptions of heat storage, and investigating governance policies and business models that engage citizens in decision making regarding urban heating systems including storage. The PUSH-IT consortium combines heat suppliers, well drillers, public planning offices and academic partners. These cover all required technical and societal know-how and background for heat systems. We will realise operational projects and use these to generate generic solutions and practices relevant across Europe. All activities will be monitored and reported, yielding a valuable comprehensive dataset on the technical and social real-world performance.

The specific challenge for waterborne transport call MG4.1 is, “To support developments that make new and existing vessels…more efficient and less polluting”. A sound way to support developments is, to demonstrate solutions that are sufficiently close to market so that ship owners will consider these in their future investment plans. Following this reasoning LeanShips will execute 8 demonstration actions that combine technologies for efficient, less polluting new/retrofitted vessels with end users’ requirements. Demonstrators were selected for their end-user commitment (high realisation chance), impact on energy use/emissions, EU-relevance, innovativeness and targeted-TRL at the project end. Selected technologies (TRL3-4 and higher) address engines/fuels/drive trains, hull/propulsors, energy systems/emission abatement technologies. Technologies are demonstrated mostly at full-scale and evidence is provided on energy and emission performance in operational environments. The LeanShips partnership contains ship owners, shipyards and equipment suppliers, in total 48 partners from industry (81%) and other organisations. Industry has a leading role in each demonstrator. Target markets are the smaller-midsized ships for intra-European waterborne transport, vessels for offshore operations and the leisure/cruise market. First impact estimates show fuel saving of up to 25 %, CO2 at least up to 25%, and SOx/NOx/PM 10-100%. These estimates will be updated during the project. First market potential estimates for the LeanShips partnership and for markets beyond the partnership are promising. Project activities are structured into 3 layers: Basis layer with 8 focused demonstrators (WP 04-11), Integration layer with QA, Innovation Platform and Guide to Innovation (WP02), Dissemination and Market-uptake (WP03), and top Management layer (WP01), in total 11 Work Packages. The demonstrators represent an industry investment of ca. M€ 57, the required funding is M€ 17,25.