Circular Economy

The innovative Heat Pipe Condensing Economiser (HPCE) has been successfully commissioned at Alufluor AB in Sweden, demonstrating that significant heat, water, and material recovery is possible using current materials and knowledge. This milestone marks a major advancement in energy savings in the chemical process industry, showcasing the potential for substantial gains beyond incremental improvements. The project involved considerable engineering and infrastructure investment, leading to an operational capacity of 650kW from exhaust recovery since August 1st, and is applicable across various industries, particularly in regulated sectors.

CircularPSP, a Horizon Europe-funded project, unites eight cities to transition to a Circular Economy, addressing sustainability by investing €5.64 million in R&D. It fosters municipal innovation through AI, collaboration, a follower network, and hosts events discussing circularity challenges and solutions.

EnerWhizz, launched by EEIP, is a mobile quiz game promoting energy innovation knowledge through fast-paced yes-or-no questions. Top scorers win monthly prizes. The game, based on the EU-funded EENOVA project, aims to educate on energy transition technologies, policies, and best practices.

The ceramics industry in Europe has made significant progress in energy optimization, cutting consumption by half in 25 years. Challenges persist, including reliance on carbon-emitting methane burners and raw material imports. Innovations and regulatory measures aim to decrease emissions and resource waste, promoting sustainable manufacturing across the sector's 338,000 jobs and €27.8 billion contribution to the EU economy.

The study analyzes alternative fuel impacts on U.S. cement industry emissions, finding marginal CO2 reductions and variable non-CO2 pollutant changes. Fuel types examined include waste and biomass, with a focus on CO2, SO2, NOx, and PM emissions across different replacement scenarios.

The Horizon-Europe IS2H4C project, coordinated by Devrim Murat Yazan, University of Twente, and funded with 23.5 million euros, aims for systemic industrial symbiosis across Europe, targeting zero emissions and sustainable practices in various industries through innovation and the collaboration of 35 partners.

Alufluor collaborated with the EU's iWAYS project to optimize resource recovery, focusing on reducing emissions and recycling. The initiative introduced technologies to conserve water and energy. The partnership aims to enhance sustainability in European industries without compromising economic progress.

Mafalda Silva is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. She has participated and managed multiple projects concerning energy planning and sustainability. Silva has developed a heat and cold matching platform that determines the costs and benefits related to excess heat utilization routes for the industry and end users.

Until now, there was no efficient way for industries generating excess heat to provide it to nearby users who need it. Now the EMB3Rs platform, a tool that matches thermal energy sources with potential demand, offers an effective way for these heat sources and sinks to find each other.