SisAl Pilot aims to demonstrate a patented novel industrial process to produce silicon (Si, a critical raw material), enabling a shift from today’s carbothermic Submerged Arc Furnace (SAF) process to a far more environmentally and economically alternative: an aluminothermic reduction of quartz in slag that utilizes secondary raw materials such as aluminium (Al) scrap and dross, as replacements for carbon reductants used today. SisAl Pilot represents a path-breaking approach, and a strong contribution to “circularity” through industrial symbiosis where the Al industry will act as both a raw material supplier and end user to the Si industry. Across sectors, SisAl Pilot will give substantial reductions in material yield losses, enhanced valorisation of waste- and by-product streams, at a 3 X lower energy consumption and radically lower emissions of CO2 and harmful pollutants, at a considerably lower cost. The SisAl Pilot project brings together raw material provider (Erimsa), silicon and aluminium key actors (Wacker, Elkem, DOW, Silicor, SiQAl, Hydro, FRey, Befesa, MYTIL), SME´s/consultants/ equipment manufacturers (BNW, SIMTEC, WS and SBC) and research organisations (NTNU, RWTH, NTUA, ITMATI, SINTEF, HZDR, MINTEK) to demonstrate the SisAl process with different raw materials and product outputs in 4 different countries. These pilots will be accompanied by environmental, economic and technological benchmarking, and industrial business cases will be assessed for locations in Norway, Iceland, Germany, Spain and Greece. The timing of SisAl Pilot is impeccable; the transformation to a circular economy, the strongly enhanced focus on climate and future expected EU-ETS CO2 allowances with associated risk for carbon leakage from Europe, the rapidly increased difficulty of exporting aluminium scrap from Europe to China, and modern society’s ever-increasing need for silicon metal. With SisAl, all these challenges are turned into new European opportunities.

The QUEEN project, with its strong consortium of participants from eight countries, addresses a significant challenge - EU's heavy reliance on external sources for critical raw materials, especially metallurgical silicon (MG-Si). Currently, over 80% of MG-Si, vital for high-tech applications and EU's sustainability ambitions, is imported mainly from China. QUEEN aims to exploit an underutilized resource; quartz sand from European quarries, to domestically produce MG-Si in a sustainable and efficient way. The unique approach combines raw material extraction and refinement with an environmental focus, leveraging waste materials in the process. This strategy is projected to bolster EU's MG-Si production capacity, foster sector-specific innovation, and advance eco-friendly practices. The QUEEN project's overall objective is to create an environmentally friendly process for producing metallurgical silicon (MG-Si) from quarry sands, with near-zero CO2 emissions. This transformational approach could turn any EU quartz quarry into a potential MG-Si reservoir. Moreover, the technologies developed could be adapted to other materials. The technical objective is to devise a new mineralogical separation process based on flotation for quarry sands extraction. This objective aims to pioneer a more effective and greener alternative process for refining high-purity quartz and Potassium Feldspars. Comprising R&D and industry stakeholders from mineral separation and MG-Si refinement fields, the project plans pilot tests at TRL 7. QUEEN aims to cover 56% of MG-Si EU demand by 2032 by recovering more than 300Mt MG-Si from sands, alongside saving about 232,000 Mt CO2 by substituting coal with cleaner materials. Like this, QUEEN aims to support the EU strategic autonomy and sustainability, mirroring its green ambitions.

SUPER PV is pursuing an ambitious bus realistic goal for innovative PV system cost reduction and consequently significant LCOE reduction (26%-37%) by adopting hybrid approach combining technological innovations and Data Management methods along the PV value chain. To achieve that, key actions will be implemented at three main levels within the PV value chain: PV module innovation level, power electronics innovation level and system integration level. To ensure fast uptake of the project results by industry, state of the art modules (c-Si and flexible CIGS) and power electronics products were utilised for adopting innovations developed by research centres. For cost reduction in system integration and operation, Digitalization and Data Management solutions based on Industry 4.0 approach will be adopted following successful utilization of Building Information Modelling approach in the construction sector. Selected for uptake innovations will be compatible with existing manufacturing technological processes thus reducing impact on Cost of Ownership and ensuring attractiveness of proposed technologies for PV manufacturers. Prototype SUPER PV systems will be produced in industrial environments and tested in different (including harsh) climate conditions to evaluate cost efficiency and demonstrate competitiveness of the proposed solutions. On the basis of test results, business cases for technologies under consideration will be performed, plans for production and market replication will be prepared. Project activities will be complemented by wide training and dissemination campaign ensuring highest visibility and social impact of the project activities. By delivering to the market SUPERior PV products, the project will have twofold impact on EU PV sector: 1. Will create conditions for accelerated large scale deployment of PV in Europe for both utility (non-urban) and residential (urban) scenarios and 2. Will help EU PV businesses to regain leadership on world market.