Articles
Powering the Future: A Comprehensive Look at Hydrogen Production Methods
The research paper provides an extensive evaluation of 19 hydrogen production methods based on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. It shows that the current production is dominated by fossil fuels, primarily steam reforming of natural gas, which, while economically viable and technically mature, has a high carbon footprint. Renewable 'green' hydrogen production is more environmentally friendly but currently lags in efficiency and cost. The paper assesses different production methods, including electrical (like electrolysis), thermal (like biomass gasification), photonic (like photocatalysis), and hybrid approaches. Key findings highlight the high efficiency but significant emissions of fossil fuel reforming and the low efficiency but minimal environmental impact of photonic and hybrid methods. Trade-offs are evident between cost/efficiency and sustainability. The paper underscores the potential of improving electrolysis with renewable electricity, advances in solar hydrogen methods, thermochemical cycles using high-temperature heat, and sustainable biomass routes. Novel technologies, like artificial photosynthesis, are emerging alongside projects like the EU-funded STORMING, which aims to produce low-emission hydrogen from methane. To transition to a sustainable hydrogen economy, the paper advocates for continued innovation to reduce costs and improve efficiencies, better materials for catalysts, optimized scale-up strategies, enhanced carbon capture, and thorough life-cycle assessments. With global investment growing, hydrogen is poised to play a vital role in the sustainable energy landscape, combining economic and environmental sustainability.
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The smart city puzzle: cities, platforms and service provider
Working in smart city projects requires to bring together different players in this very diverse eco-system, from IT to product suppliers, service providers, finance, social innovators and of course the cities with their various departments. A good way to start is looking at top notch smart city projects as well as knowledge, matchmaking and IT platforms.
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Demystifying Industrial Symbiosis: A Comprehensive Guide to Opportunity Identification
Industrial symbiosis (IS) optimizes resource use and minimizes waste by exchanging resources among industries. European initiatives invest in IS methodologies to enhance market adoption but face challenges like complexity and data availability. The identification process involves mapping, screening, and matchmaking, requiring collaboration and long-term viability assessments.
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Unlocking the Value of Industrial Symbiosis: A Comprehensive Guide to Pricing and Business Value
The article outlines approaches and a framework for pricing in industrial symbiosis, stressing fair and sustainable mechanisms, considering costs, earnings, risks, and value beyond economics for successful circular economies.
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Biomass Gasification: A Key to Decarbonizing Energy-Intensive Industries
The EU project CORALIS explores biomass gasification's techno-economic feasibility for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries, highlighting its potential with syngas and biochar production as fossil fuel alternatives. Larger-scale operations demonstrate better economic returns, with significant positive impacts on industrial decarbonization efforts.
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Revolutionizing Urban Living: Insights from the STARDUST Project
The STARDUST project exemplifies sustainable urban transformation through smart integration in energy, mobility, and ICT in "lighthouse" and "follower" cities, focusing on renewable infrastructure, innovative technologies, regulatory adaptability, stakeholder engagement, and novel business models to foster replicable sustainable city initiatives.
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How new technology can allow factories without chimneys
Professor Hussam Jouhara discusses the development of the Heat Pipe Condensing Economiser (HPCE), designed to reduce industrial energy consumption and emissions by recovering waste heat and water. Supported by the EU's Horizon 2020, HPCE overcomes challenges such as exhaust stream variability and corrosive condensates, aiming to enhance efficiency and environmental sustainability in industries, especially in the chemical sector, by promoting energy and material recovery.
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Business Value Through Industrial Symbiosis
A new framework evaluates industrial symbiosis, showing cost savings, revenue growth, risk reduction, and intangible benefits, advocating strategic partnerships and regulatory navigation for long-term sustainable advantage.
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Facilitating Knowledge Sharing in Industrial Symbiosis Networks: The Key to Sustainable Innovation
Facilitators are essential in industrial symbiosis for effective knowledge exchange, optimizing resource use and fostering collaboration among industries, enhancing sustainability, and improving competitiveness. Their roles include knowledge brokering, trust building, capacity development, innovation catalyst, and regulatory navigation, crucial to forming and growing symbiotic networks.
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Industrial Symbiosis And How To Engage Stakeholders
The CORALIS project highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement in promoting industrial symbiosis (IS) through participatory processes, as demonstrated in case studies from Spain, Austria, and Turkey, to overcome IS adoption barriers and foster sustainable industry practices.
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