In ADREM, leading industries and university groups in process intensification, catalytic reactor engineering and process control team up to address the domain of resource- and energy-efficient valorisation of variable methane feedstocks to C2+ hydrocarbons. The development of new and intensified adaptable catalytic reactor systems for flexible and decentralized production at high process performance is in focus, able to operate with changing feedstock composition and deliver “on-demand” the required product distribution by switching selected operational/control parameters and/or changing modular catalyst cartridges. In the long term, we expect the reactors to operate energy- and emission-lean using green electricity as the direct, primary energy source. In order to converge to the optimal design, the project will utilize the unique integral, four-domain process intensification (PI) methodology, pioneered by the consortium. This is the only approach able to deliver a fully intensified equipment/process. The key feature is the systematic, simultaneous addressing of the four domains: spatial, thermodynamic, functional and temporal. ADREM will provide: • highly innovative, economic and environmentally friendly processes and equipment for efficient transformation of methane into useful chemicals and liquid fuels, for which monetary savings of more than 10% are expected. • process technologies applying flexible modular one-step process with high selectivity for valorisation of methane from various sources. • modular (and containerized and mobile) reactors permitting flexible adaptation of the plant size to demand and also utilizing smaller or temporary sources of methane or other feeds. The project will employ emerging reactor technologies coupled to especially designed catalytic systems to address a variety of scenarios embodying methane valorisation. The concepts developed can be later readily extrapolated on other types of catalytic processes of similar sizes.

The objective of the project IMPROOF is to drastically improve the energy efficiency of steam cracking furnaces by at least 20%, in a cost effective way, while simultaneously reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses and NOx per ton ethylene produced by at least 25%. One important way to reduce the energy input in steam cracking furnaces is to reduce coke formation on the reactor wall. The use of either advanced coil materials, combined with 3D reactor designs, improved process control, and more uniform heat transfer will increase run lengths, reducing simultaneously CO2 emissions and the lifetime of the furnaces. Biogas and bio-oil will be used as alternative fuels because they are considered renewable, and hence, decrease net CO2 production. Application of high emissivity coatings on the external surface of the radiant coils will further substantially improve the energy consumption. Less firing is required to reach the same process temperatures in the radiant coils. This will reduce fuel gas consumption and CO2 emissions by 10 to 15%. IMPROOF will demonstrate the advantage of combining all these technological innovations with an anticipated increase of the time on stream with a factor 3. To select the correct technologies for sustainable implementation in complex plant-wide and industrial data-intensive process systems, all the technology will be implanted in real-plant conditions at TRL6 in DOW. The strongly industrial oriented consortium is composed of 7 industrial partners, including 2 SME completed by 2 RTO and 2 university. This partnership shows a clear and strong path to the industrial and economical world with the involvement of all actors of the furnaces business. The financial resources mobilized by the partners represent a total grant of 6 878 401,25 € with a global effort of 538 person.month.

One way in which bioenergy production can be increased is through retrofitting, the addition of new technology or features to existing industrial installations. Retrofitting means often lower capital expenditure (CAPEX), shorter lead times, faster implementation, less production time losses, lower risks and therefore faster project development and increased market benefits. BIOFIT aims to facilitate bioenergy retrofitting in five industries: first-generation biofuels, pulp and paper, fossil refineries, fossil firing power and combined heat and power plants. First an overview will be made of existing options for retrofitting, and best practices analysed, to establish (both technical and non-technical) success factors. This will constitute the basis for two core project actions i.e. the development of 10 concrete bioenergy retrofitting proposals (2 each per industry) and the establishment of dedicated working groups for each industry (industry platform) to facilitate two-way dialogue. Both actions will be industry-driven, and focus on identifying and helping to solve actual – general and industry-specific – barriers towards wider market uptake. BIOFIT will give specific attention to generating information for policy development. Acceptance of bioenergy, both by the industries and by the general public, is key to the industries’ transformation towards sustainable bioenergy generation and market uptake. Research into acceptance factors is an integral part of project set-up. Key issues will be highlighted, and guidelines for industries will be issued. The BIOFIT consortium is a multidisciplinary partnership, with strong industrial involvement, broad coverage across Europe, and existing practical experience developing bioenergy retrofits. The expertise of the consortium covers all five target industries. BIOFIT consortium partners have wide networks in industry and industry platforms, ensuring relevance and transferability of all results.