The CREATE project aims to tackle the thermal energy storage challenge for the built environment by developing a compact heat storage. This heat battery allows for better use of available renewables in two ways: 1) bridging the gap between supply and demand of renewables and 2) increasing the efficiency in the energy grid by converting electricity peaks into stored heat to be used later, increasing the energy grid flexibility and giving options for tradability and economic benefits. The main aim of CREATE is to develop and demonstrate a heat battery, ie an advanced thermal storage system based on Thermo-Chemical Materials, that enables economically affordable, compact and loss-free storage of heat in existing buildings. The CREATE concept is to develop stabilized storage materials with high storage density, improved stability and low price, and package them in optimized heat exchangers, using optimized storage modules. Full scale demonstration will be done in a real building, with regulatory/normative, economic and market boundaries taken into account. To ensure successful exploitation, the full knowledge, value, and supply chain are mobilized in the present consortium. It will be the game changer in the transformation of our existing building stock towards near-zero energy buildings. WP1 Management,WP2 Cost Analysis and planning for future commercial products cost,WP3 System definition,design and simulation,WP4 Thermal storage materials optimization (key breakthroughs),WP5 Critical storage components and technology development (key breakthroughs),WP6 Thermal storage reactor design, implementation and test,WP7 System integration, experiments and optimization,WP8 Building integration and full scale demonstration,WP9 Dissemination and exploitation of results. CREATE will create viable supply chain by bringing together multiple scientific disciplines and industry. In other words, CREATE envisions a multi-scale, multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach.

The aim of the LigniOx project is to demonstrate the techno-economic viability of the unique LigniOx alkali-O2 oxidation technology for the conversion of various lignin-rich side-streams into versatile dispersants. High-performance concrete plasticizers will be the target end product, but potential other end uses, such as dispersants for paints and gypsum, will be evaluated as well. Valorisation of lignins originating from kraft and organosolv pulping as well as from 2nd generation bioethanol processes will be addressed. Both the oxidation technology and the end-product performance will be demonstrated at operation conditions, thus enabling industrial process installations and entry of the novel lignin products into the markets after the project. The valorisation of lignin side-streams will significantly improve the cost-competitiveness and resource efficiency of lignocellulosic biorefineries. It will also create low-cost, sustainable raw materials for the chemical industry. The LigniOx technology can be integrated into lignocellulosic biorefineries, or it can be operated as a stand-alone unit by chemical industry. For scale-up and process demonstrations, a mobile pilot unit will be constructed. The viability of the process concepts will be demonstrated in operational conditions using relevant pilot equipment and process modelling. The performance of LigniOx concrete plasticizers will be demonstrated by field tests, and industrial product prototypes will be produced. Techno-economy as well as environmental and socio-economic impacts will be assessed. Also regulatory issues will be considered to ensure the market entry.

The GASVESSEL aims to prove the techno-economic feasibility of a new CNG transport concept enabled by a novel patented Pressure Vessel manufacturing technology and a new conceptual ship design including safe on- and offloading solution. It carries out research and innovates different steps in the value chain from a decision support model to simulate and benchmark scenarios until the process of ship design, new Pressure Vessel designs and manufacturing as well as novel high pressure on- and offloading. The project supports the European Commission’s Maritime Transport Strategy in which maritime transport is considered key to securing Europe’s energy supply. It sets the knowledge base for identifying where the novel CNG concept has added value, develop prototype technologies and related business cases, promote the concept with end-users and foster market introduction, first in Europe, and subsequently beyond. The GASVESSEL project contributes the Energy Union to become less dependent on energy imports by serving as a flexible interconnector which enables energy to flow freely across the EU. The project will make it possible to supply natural gas to places where natural gas is not yet a part of the energy supply e.g. where large investment in regassifiers are not feasible or done (yet) such as the Mediterranean Islands. The concept offers novel cost effective gas transportation and hence promising prospects to start using and monetising the huge amount of currently wasted (flared), stranded and associated gas which is currently wasted or not used, while contributing to reducing an important environmental side effect of global oil exploitation. The validation and proof of concept of the GASVESSEL project is performed by a cost-benefit analyses (financial viability), safety assessment, environmental impact analyses and value chain business cases development in relation to real-life geo-logistic scenarios.