Country: Italy
Category: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology
Project promoters: FNM S.P.A (IT)

The GreenHyseO Project is part of "H2iseO: a Hydrogen valley for sustainable mobility”, a project promoted by FNM S.p.A., that aims at creating the first Italian Hydrogen Valley and decarbonizing rail and bus transport in Valcamonica.

FNM S.p.A. will introduce a green hydrogen-powered fleet of 14 trains and 40 buses, including the construction of the hydrogen production plants, and the distribution and refuelling stations:

• a hydrogen production, storage, and distribution plant in the city of Iseo, using the Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) technology starting from biomethane, and the innovative addition of Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology,
• one or two hydrogen production, storage and distribution plants using electrolysis in the cities of Brescia and Edolo.

The focus of the GreenHyseO project is on the CCS technology for the Iseo hydrogen production plant.

Country: France
Category: Substitute products
Project promoter: NEoT Green Mobility (FR)

The project concerns the construction of a hydrogen pusher to navigate in Paris, replacing the existing pusher. It will have similar capacities allowing CEMEX to push barges with a capacity of up to 2 600 tons.

It is especially designed to navigate on the Seine river, with a propulsion using electric energy from two hydrogen fuel cells and a lithium battery. Particular care has been taken in the design of the hull to keep the wake to a minimum. 

NEoT Green Mobility is working with CEMEX to set up an innovative financing solution including performance guarantees for the zero emission energy system.

The project has been pre-selected for receiving a grant under the Innovation Fund second small-scale call after its re-application.

Country: Latvia
Category: Renewable energy; Energy intensive industries
Project promoter: AS ETGAS (LV)

The scope of the “Zero Carbon Gypsum” project is to facilitate a transition of an energy-intensive gypsum plasterboard manufacturing site from natural gas use to renewable on-site generated synthesis gas (syngas), generated from local waste biomass using proprietary gasification technology.

This first-of-a-kind project is being developed in Latvia, at KNAUF Latvia plasterboard manufacturing plant's territory, and the project's feasibility is enabled by gasification technology's ability to convert otherwise non-recyclable waste fractions to high-purity renewable syngas at lowest costs in industry.

By applying carbon capture from syngas in further project phases, eventually a carbon-negative gas will be delivered, demonstrating the decarbonisation pathway in such an energy intensive industry as plasterboard manufacturing, without requirement to retrofit existing manufacturing asset base.

Country: Spain
Category: Intra-day electricity storage
Project promoter: Green Capital Power SL (ES)

The aim of TRUCK2WIND project is the integration of a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) including first and second-life batteries in a renewable energy plant in Spain. This first-of-a-kind project will demonstrate the advantages of the integration of first- and second-life batteries by evaluating the feasibility and performance of the hybrid solution and its potentiality for the participation in different grid services. This project will validate the circularity of EV batteries, while providing flexibility to the energy system leading to achieve a higher degree of decarbonisation.

In line with its commitment to a green and fair energy transition, Capital Energy currently has a portfolio of wind and solar projects in the Iberian Peninsula with around 30 GW capacity. More than 8 GW have already received network access grants. Capital Energy is already present on the entire renewable energy value chain: from development to construction, production, storage, operation and supply.

Country: Germany
Category: Carbon capture utilisation (CCU) technology
Project promoter: Twelve Benefit Corporation (DE)

Twelve has developed a technology that enables the energy efficient conversion of CO2 from any source into CO that can be used to produce high-value products.

The purpose of the CO2Made project is to obtain industrial validation of the technology's potential in turning CO2 into PC-based car parts that form the internal structure of Mercedes-Benz cars - with significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than conventional production.

This innovation can reduce the carbon footprint of the world's heavy emitting industries while creating a new revenue stream from what is discarded today as a waste product.

The EIB is working with Twelve Benefit Corporation to fund the development of a financial model and market analysis for this technology and project.

Country: Belgium
Category: Carbon capture utilisation (CCU) & Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology
Project promoters:
Prefer Construct SA (Prefer) (BE)
Carrières et Fours à Chaux Dumont-Wautier SA (Lhoist) (BE)
Orbix Solutions SRL (Orbix) (BE)

The main objective of the CO₂ncrEAT project is to offer to the construction sector a new line of carbon negative pre-cast materials such as masonry blocks, with the same dimensional, visual and mechanical characteristics as current concrete products.

This project offers a sustainable and environmentally sound alternative to the traditional manufacturing process of concrete elements, which entails high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The products created as a result of CO₂ncrEAT will replace the cement and natural aggregates in their composition with non-valorised residues from slag recycling centres and CO₂ captured from the exhaust gases from the lime manufacturing process.

CO₂ncrEAT offers a sustainable solution for CO₂ use and sequestration (CCU & CCS) because, once the captured CO₂ is mineralised into building materials, it cannot be liberated again to the atmosphere.

The project has been pre-selected for receiving a grant under the Innovation Fund second small-scale call after its re-application.

  Find out more about the project in the blog article.

Country: Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Spain
Category: Energy intensive industries
Project promoter: Finn Recycling Oy (FI)

Finn Recycling’s recycling service for waste foundry sand has been in commercial use for foundries in Finland since 2018.

After several years of research, Finn recycling has developed and patented a process that combines thermal and mechanical methods in one single modular unit. This breakthrough innovation allows the use of thermal-mechanical regeneration for even the most difficult sand types to be reclaimed. Currently, alternative systems that use thermal fluidized bed regenerators cannot regenerate green sand without a two-stage mechanical treatment preceding and following the thermal process, which removes the clay attached to the surface of the sand grains.

Finn Recycling uses a unique Sand-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, which has the advantage to be asset-light, to require low investment, and be an easy-to-start solution for customers, who can test the service in advance and can profit from quick installation without the need for a long production break. Thanks to this new system, the need for new, virgin sand is reduced by up to 90%, with consequent decrease in sand acquisition costs, as well as significant improvement of waste sand problem and the foundry’s CO₂ footprint.

This service is now being expanded in the first phase to Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Country: Finland
Category: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology
Project promoter: Carbo Culture Oy (FI)

Carbo Culture aims to build and operate a state-of-the-art biochar facility in Finland. Biochar is the product of biomass pyrolysation and fixes the carbon in a stable, functional material.

The proposed facility “Alpha” will advance proprietary pyrolysis technology to a commercial scale. The proven process accommodates variable biomass feedstocks and produces high quality biochar with desirable materials properties, for example high fixed carbon content, and is stable for more than 1 000 years, storing carbon safely. The innovative biochar method has high added value when compared to traditional biochar value chains.

The high quality biochar can be used as a soil improver to reduce fertiliser use, and as material for blue/green infrastructure, construction materials and other functional applications. Additionally, the project will sell verified carbon removal credits and the syngas produced from the process.

Country: Spain
Category: Low carbon fuels
Project promoters:
Iberdrola Clientes S.A.U. (ES)
Foresa Industrias Químicas del Noroeste S.A. (ES)

Located in Galicia, MEIGA project is conceived as a door-opener that will deploy innovative integrated technological approaches clustered in a unique integrated plant, based on:

• an innovative hybridised H2 production system comprising Alkaline, PEM, SOEC and Co-SOEC systems,
• an advanced CO2-capture system integrating chemical based and direct air capture technologies; and
• an integrated self-sustainable e-methanol production system (considering electrolyser waste heat use as well as oxygen use and water circularity in the overall facility).

These approaches will allow materialising three highly competitive outcomes, establishing a new paradigm in the sector: enhanced production performance, improved operational flexibility and competitive production costs.

The operational capacity of the e-methanol production plant will be of 100 000 tons of e-methanol per year, avoiding more than two million tCO2e in 10 years. The selected location is a representative scenario, being the first milestone of an ambitious plan to replicate the concept in 11 sites. Iberdrola Clientes S.A.U and Foresa Industrias químicas del Noroeste S.A. will count on their vast experience in engineering projects, which, coupled with the technical, financial (cost-attractive business model) and operational (market deployment) maturity of the technology, will ensure its success.

Country: Spain
Category: Glass, ceramics & construction material
Project promoter: Cosentino Industrial SAU (ES)

LessCO Surfaces are a new generation of Low-Emission Construction surfaces obtained through ‘Circular Technology Quarry’ for a more sustainable European raw materials industry.

The main objective of the project is to implement a disruptive manufacturing plant, the so-called ’Circular Technology Quarry’, designed with the main objective of producing new circular raw materials from more efficient waste valorisation processes.

Thanks to this project, the raw materials currently used to manufacture engineered stone will be replaced by much more sustainable alternatives achieved by the upcycling of the by-products and the sludge waste generated in the production process, reducing drastically the end-product’s carbon footprint, the amount of waste generated, improving at the same time the working conditions of workers by using new and circular raw materials without the health risks associated to the current ones.

The project, the first of its kind worldwide, is expected to be replicated in other industries and sectors, which will have an enormous impact in terms of costs, emissions and health.

Country: France
Category: Low carbon fuels
Project promoter: Storengy, a company of ENGIE (FR)

The SALAMANDRE project aims to produce renewable and low carbon methane as an alternative fuel for the maritime sector by using local waste wood grade B and SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) as feedstock. It responds to the challenges of maritime transport decarbonization, waste recovery and energy autonomy, while facilitating the transition towards a circular economy.

SALAMANDRE is based on a unique combination of technological innovations implemented by ENGIE with two main process bricks: pyrogasification and methanation reactors. The produced renewable and low carbon methane will be injected in the gas network and delivered into container ships as fuel, replacing fossil Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). ENGIE's objective is to make the first commercial waste-to-gas project at an industrial scale in Europe, and thus contribute to decarbonizing the gas sector.

Country: Sweden
Category: Low carbon fuels
Project promoter: FlagshipONE AB (Ørsted A/S) (SE)

Located in Örnsköldsvik in Northern Sweden, FlagshipONE is Europe’s largest FID’ed green e-methanol facility. FlagshipONE is expected to enter into operation in 2025 and will produce around 50 000 tonnes of e-methanol each year to help decarbonise the world’s shipping industry. Global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions, and the sector is a focus area for Ørsted, as the company expands its presence in Power-to-X across Northern Europe and the United States.

The project will be located on the grounds of the biomass-fired combined heat and power plant Hörneborgsverket in Örnsköldsvik, operated by Övik Energi. The e-methanol from FlagshipONE will be produced using renewable electricity and biogenic carbon dioxide captured from Hörneborgsverket. In addition, FlagshipONE will use steam, process water, and cooling water from Hörneborgsverket. Excess heat from the e-methanol production process will be delivered back to Övik Energi and integrated in their district heating supply.

Country: Denmark
Category: Energy intensive industries
Project promoter: CP Kelco ApS (DK)

The DeFuel project will demonstrate a full decarbonisation of a fully fossil fuel dependent industrial process plant before 2029. The decarbonization will be done by implementing several innovative process integrations and electrification solutions, which will reduce the energy consumption by 70%. A full decarbonisation goes beyond both the national climate strategies and EU climate policy objectives and lifts the bar beyond state of the art for industrial process design.

The project will challenge the production and the internal/external energy infrastructure, and demonstrate how state-of-the-art technology can be combined in innovative solutions, which will challenge and set new standard for carbon efficient industrial design.

The high efficiency is achieved by a demand-driven design that combines intelligent process integration and heat pump technology in several systems that match the specific process demands.

The innovative solutions demonstrated in the DeFuel project are fully scalable and will demonstrate how a significant part of European energy intensive industry can reduce the energy consumption significantly through electrification and become independent of natural gas supplies.

Country: Norway
Category: Energy Storage
Project promoter: Freyr Battery Norway AS (NO)

The project concerns the construction and operation of a large plant for industrial scale production of clean lithium-ion (li-ion) battery cells in Norway. The cells are to be sold for making Battery Energy Storage Systems. The project seeks to implement an innovative manufacturing process technology under a technology license agreement that will allow higher resource and energy efficiency compared to conventional technologies. Using renewable power, the project aims to produce battery cells with the lowest carbon footprint. The promoter aims to use sustainably sourced and traceable materials. The project's core strategy is to develop a European battery industry and accelerate the decarbonisation of energy and transportation systems.

The project concerns the manufacturing of a new type of advanced li-ion electrodes and battery cells and could make a substantial contribution to the development of a European battery industry. The objective is to cater for the energy transition by supplying the growing demand for Battery Energy Storage Systems with cutting-edge battery cells that offer higher energy density, longer lifetime, improved safety, lower cost, sustainably sourced materials and near-zero carbon footprint.

Country: Greece
Category: Carbon Capture and Storage
Project promoter: Energean Oil and Gas, S.A. (GR)

The Prinos CCS project is a third-party open access carbon storage site located offshore in the Northern Aegean Sea, Greece (Kavala gulf area). The project aims to receive CO₂ emissions from industrial activities, including hard to abate industries,  for example cement and refining, from Greece and regions such as South Italy, West Balkans and Bulgaria. The CO₂ will be stored permanently in geological formations beneath the seabed. The Prinos CCS project has a potential storage capacity of up to 100 million tonnes of CO₂. Local CO₂ is expected to be received in compressed form, and remote CO₂ is expected to be received in liquid form through sea transport.

The project was awarded an exploration permit under Directive 2009/31/EC in September 2022 and shall be developed in stages. The first phase will have a capacity of up to one MTPA, covering own and local emissions and acting as a test operation and monitoring scheme. The Full Commercial (second) phase of the project is due to become operational in 2028. The injection capacity to be made available in the second phase shall be subject to technical feasibility and binding market demand.