CO2: A Future, Renewable Feedstock?

The chemical industry's use of CO2 as a renewable resource can support EU chemical sector sustainable development and future competitiveness, said Dr. Gernot Klotz, Executive Director Research and Innovation at Cefic, speaking at the opening session of the Carbon Dioxide Utilisation Summit that took place in Brussels from 30-31 October, Klotz  addressed the importance of carbon dioxide as a renewable resource that can be considered a key strategy to support the European chemical sector's sustainable development and future competitivenes. Utilising CO2 can also demonstrate chemistry's potential to solve major societal challenges such as healthy ageing, energy security, and climate change among many others.

Klotz stressed the need for a change in mentality towards CO2, saying: "Europe can no longer afford to look at CO2 as pollution or waste to be disposed of; but rather as a renewable resource for the future.”

CO2 as a feedstock
CO2 as a feedstock for chemistry can be used in many different ways, such as renewable energy storage and as an ingredient to make polymers and new materials. The next step will be to make CO2 a key enabler for artificial photosynthesis via chemical processes. In a recent Financial Times special report, Cefic Director General Hubert Mandery said: “artificial photosynthesis is the real holy grail...When we can use sunlight to turn CO2 into energy to heat our houses or power our cars, we can reinvent the way we live.”

Klotz sees CO2 as the only renewable resource Europe has in abundance and can play a vital role in ensuring Europe’s future as a competitive economy.

“Innovation is about change. If Europe wants to be competitive on the world scene it must urgently change its approach to innovation and look into leading edge technologies," he continued. "Other regions of the world, such as the United States and Asia, are racing to develop a competitive economy based on renewable resources."

"European countries must cooperate now to ensure that a broader vision for a CO2 economy in Europe is born and implemented, enabling the chemicals sector to design and produce new, innovative technologies and products in the coming years and to immediately use its advantages by bringing together economy, goods, growth and social welfare.”

SPIRE and new uses for CO2
Klotz also argued that European initiatives are needed that could create a space for a new mind-set for resources, efficiency and innovation in Europe, including for new uses for CO2. One example is the Public Private Partnership for Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency (SPIRE), which aims to enable new technologies and best practices in important stages of existing, large-scale value chains that will contribute to a resource efficient process industry. CO2 could play a breakthrough role in this context.

Cefic has also brought together all relevant stakeholders, including eminent scientists, to jointly create a roadmap that will help Europe to achieve global leadership in innovation and this will be available early 2014.

Klotz concluded: “If Europe aims to achieve global leadership in sustainable technologies together with jobs and growth the progress we make in the next 10 years will be of critical importance.”

CO2 potential
In early October Prof Gabriele Centi from the University of Messina gave a technical overview of the potential of CO2 as a feedstock during a Cefic sponsored session at the European Innovation Summit in Brussels. He said that “CO2 is neither a polluter nor a waste” and that it could be “a raw material that enabled change for society.”

He also sees CO2 as a valuable carbon source and a key element to realise energy and resource efficiency and introduce new renewable energy concepts. The carbon-based economy would provide a new scenario for sustainable chemicals production that integrated biomass and CO2 as feedstocks for a “new chemistry for the future”.

Prof Centi described a variety of CO2 using processes that were already developed or would be in the short to medium term (see graphic below). He also looked at a long term vision of developing artificial leaves that would remove ambient CO2 from the air to make fuel or materials.

The (re)use of CO2 could be a massive opportunity for Europe he concluded. It could exploit a currently untapped resource and contribute to reducing GHG emissions and be a major driver of innovation and growth.

More information
To know more about the potential role of CO2 in the future of Europe’s economy, competitiveness and energy efficiency, please contact Dr. Gernot Klotz, Executive Director for Research and Innovation at Cefic or Sophie Wilmet, Innovation Counsellor at CEFIC.

Latest E4Water Newsletter out now!

With just over one-third of the project now past, the SusChem supported FP7 project E4Water has just published its second newsletter. The publication describes progress in the project’s quest to improve water management in the European chemical industry by making it economically and ecologically more efficient.

The newsletter focuses on a number of the project's participant organisations that are working hard on testing, optimisation and selection of the technologies needed for the next steps forward. The partners are bringing technologies towards pilot demonstration in new applications and new technology trains for a more sustainable industrial water management.

E4Water is a very applied project that gets strong input from both industry and research organisations to provide solutions for a more “eco-efficient” approach to industrial water management.

New facilities, new ideas
The newsletter's main feature is on the new facility for wastewater treatment at Kalundborg in Denmark, which was opened in early October, using microalgae in ten photobioreators to clean industrial residual waste streams that are rich in nutrients.

The publication profiles the Chemical Engineering Department at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and its contribution to E4Water. Similar articles for the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), the Technical University of Delft and the Institute of Ecopreneurship (IEC) in the School of Life Science at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) follow.

The newsletter also covers E4Water's participation in a number of international events and lists significant upcoming events.

What is E4Water?
The E4Water project is a European Commission-funded FP7 project jointly developed by SusChem and the European Water Platform (WssTP). E4Water was launched in May 2012 and will continue for four years. The project is coordinated by Dechema. 

The E4Water project aims to develop, test and validate new integrated approaches, methodologies and process technologies for a more efficient and sustainable management of water in the chemical industry (see schematic below). The results of the project will also be applicable to other industrial sectors.

E4Water unites in its consortium large chemical industries, leading European water sector companies and innovative RTD centres and universities active in the area of water management. E4Water aims to reduce water use by 20-40%, decrease waste water production by 30-70%, and cut energy use by 15-40% in the sector.

You can find out more about the E4Water project on their website. where you can also download the newsletter.

Watch EFIB 2013 Highlights!

The European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology 2013 (EFIB 2013) took place from 30 September to 2 October in Brussels. This sixth edition of EFIB, organised by SusChem founding partner EuropaBio, was by far the biggest yet and underlined the remarkable expansion of interest in industrial biotechnology across Europe and globally in recent years.

EFIB 2013 took place in The Square conference facility in central Brussels and was one of the highlights of the first ever European Biotech week. Over 700 delegates attended and an extensive biotech market place saw more than 45 exhibitors and 20 technology showcase presentations. And, of course, two whole days of conference sessions.

EuropaBio has produced a video highlights of the EFIB2013 conference. Enjoy!

EFIB 2014

Why not join this important EU bioeconomy event next year? EFIB2014 will be held in Reims, France. To get an insight into this exciting and rapidly evolving landscape and be part of the process of building a stronger more sustainable biobased economy be in Reims, Champagne-Ardenne France from 7 to 9 October 2014.

SPIRE speaks at MANUFUTURE 2013

‘MANUFUTURE 2013 View on Horizon 2020: Sustainable Re-industrialisation of Europe’ organised by the European Technology Platform on Future Manufacturing (Manufuture) in Vilnius from 6 – 8 October saw a major presentation on the SusChem inspired SPIRE PPP.

Resource efficiency
In a plenary session on the morning of October 7 devoted to Horizon 2020 and roadmaps for manufacturing, Dr. Klaus Sommer, the President of the A.Spire Board of Directors, presented the strategic SPIRE Roadmap and described what SPIRE will do in practice to create a world-leading, resource and energy efficient process industry for Europe.

You can watch Dr Sommer's speech below and also access the presentation as given.

Special focus
A special focus of the conference was given to increasing the efficiency of EU regional and national RTD support tools through their mutual synergy and national / regional smart specialization.

The conference saw MANUFUTURE stakeholders from industry, academia and the public sector exchanging views on how to implement Horizon 2020 and related national programmes in a coherent and flexible manner. Horizon 2020 investments must translate into tangible wealth, growth and jobs. To achieve this requires better support of the entire innovation cycle, promoting better alignment with national and regional policies and funding programmes, and creating framework conditions for growth and jobs to help Europe stay globally competitive.

For more information on the conference, please visit the MANUFUTURE 2013 website. More information on SPIRE can be found here.

SusChem starts Horizon 2020 project prep!

SusChem started its preparations for Horizon 2020 with a brokerage event that attracted almost 200 participants to the Crown Plaza Le Palace Hotel, Brussels yesterday (October 23). Horizon 2020 is scheduled to kick-off on 1 January 2014 and SusChem, as the most prominent European Technology Platform (ETP), is ready to support the programme and ensure it achieves its goals of boosting competitiveness, jobs and growth in Europe.

Following on from briefings on the scope of the new European Commission programme, delegates spent the brokerage day outlining project proposals, describing their skills and experience, and meeting in 150 scheduled one-to-one meeting plus more informal and spontaneous networking.

Commenting on the event Jacques Kormornicki, SusChem Programme Manager at Cefic (left) said: "I want to thank all the participants for their involvement in this active participation from the industry which is key in the future success of Horizon 2020."

"We are now focusing on turning this success into the building of consortia to submit proposals when the calls come out in December 2013," he continued. "We will be organizing either webinars or another brokerage event in January 2014.

The final decision on this will be taken when the calls are out and based on the feed-back from participants. The new Grant-iT tool, which is designed to help SusChem stakeholders to participate to the calls and find partners will also be ready end 2013."

The event continued the atmosphere of intense collaboration and innovative zeal that had been evident at the SPIRE PPP brokerage event on 22 October and is typical of the vision and innovation leadership that SusChem has shown since its foundation in mid-2004.

SusChem success
SusChem board member Prof Rodney Townsend got things started with an outline of SusChem’s achievements. He praised the dedicated support work of SusChem’s national technology platforms (NTPs) that have mobilised stakeholders in 12 Member States and he welcomed SusChem Switzerland as our latest NTP.

He noted the success that SusChem had achieved in FP7 with an estimated €300 million of EU public funding per annum for projects that aligned with the SusChem strategic roadmap. He looked for similar achievements in Horizon 2020. He said that SusChem had been actively engaged in discussions on Horizon2020 since 2011 to ensure that sustainable chemistry and industrial biotechnology remain a major part of it, to successfully work with key European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs), and in particular to help launch two public-private-partnerships in Horizon 2020: SPIRE and the BioBased Industries JTI.

SusChem was also actively involved in identifying areas in the Future Emerging Technologies theme for sustainable chemistry and biotechnology. The full scope of SusChem activities is illustrated below.

The starting point for the brokerage activities was the draft Horizon 2020 work programme for the first two years. With the first calls to be published in December it was now time to start preparations! And there was also a need to think about calls for 2015. Rodney wished everyone a fruitful meeting and indicated that, if stakeholders required it, SusChem will organise another brokerage event early in 2014.

Prominent ETP
Soren Bowadt of the European Commission DG Research and Innovation also praised SusChem for its success with major projects such as the F3 factory project and its ability to set up two PPPs for Horizon 2020 describing SusChem as “the most prominent of the ETPs.”

He then outlined the Horizon 2020 programme with its emphasis on innovation and demonstration activities. A key part was the deployment of Key Enabling Technologies (KETS) that were strategic technologies that could drive competitiveness and growth based on knowledge.

He described the Commission’s wish for an impact orientated approach and their likely focus on Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) in the range 3 - 8 for projects to be funded under Horizon 2020. A set of definitions of TRLs to be used under Horizon 2020 is given below.

In Horizon 2020 KETs would be used to address the whole innovation chain from research to TRLs preceding commercialisation. He said that the PPPs would be important. It was important to promote the involvement of industry and also ensure synergies between research and industry. The PPPs would be used to implement KETs in many areas.

He concluded by thanking SusChem for its contributions to the development of the work programme saying: “this would not have been possible without the vision of SusChem and your intense and constructive collaboration with the Commission.”

Impact
The plenary briefing session was completed by Jacques Kormornicki. He also praised SusChem’s impact, for example, SusChem priorities were found in 30% of the NMP calls in FP7 and SusChem also had significant impact in two other fields: KBBE and Energy.

In addition to SusChem’s energetic direct activity in EIPs (Water, Smart-Cities and Communities, Raw Materials) and the SPIRE PPP, it was supporting the Bio-Based Industries JTI and the Energy Efficient Buildings PPP. There was also strong activity in Materials Technology along the “value chain” including membership of the umbrella Alliance for Materials (A4M). SusChem had also taken up the role of promoting innovation early on and had been heavily involved in the formulation of the KET concept that is the basis of the Horizon 2020 pillar on Industrial leadership.

Jacques showed an analysis of the draft Horizon 2020 work packages from its societal challenges and industrial leadership pillars (see below). Some 200 work packages already mapped onto SusChem priority areas.

This showed the opportunity in Horizon 2020 said. Jacques. Delegates had the full analysis ‘matrix’ of the Horizon 2020 work programmes versus SusChem priorities and a full list of participants and presentations in today’s meeting – it was now up to participants to identify relevant topics and find partners for fruitful collaborative work.

Brokerage bonanza
Esther Agyeman-Budu of Cefic outlined how the various brokerage activities during the day. A first plenary set of project presentation was made before lunch and then three parallel sessions were organised after lunch on Materials, Resource and Energy Efficiency, and Water and Biotechnology.

In total 45 Project Idea or Areas of Interest presentations were made including 12 presentations from the chemical industry including two made via through SusChem NTPs.

After project presentations an intense session of ‘speed-dating’, one-to-one meetings and other networking opportunities took place.

To complete the day and wrap up proceedings Jacques Komornicki described the likely process and the tools available to SusChem stakeholders to assist project formation.

He highlighted the SusChem – PNO ‘matrix’ tool to check for relevant Horizon 2020 call topics and the revised GRANT-IT service for Horizon 2020 that would be launched at the end of 2013. This would be freely available for the whole SusChem community following registration.

The GRANT-IT tool will provide a searchable database of relevant funding programmes, project searching for partners, the ability to search for past and present European projects, and the opportunity to ask for personalised advice on a project idea. There will also be a facility for interaction via forums and comments as part of a brokerage process to develop some sound project ideas and consortia.

Further details of the GRANT-IT tool and how to access it will be covered by the SusChem newsblog when it is ready for launch.

Jacques reiterated that a second brokerage event could be organised in January 2014 if there was demand and in addition, again if there was a perceived need, SusChem could also organise webinars on specific programme areas.

Get involved!
SusChem stakeholder who wanted to get more involved with the brokerage activities around Horizon 2020 should contact either Jacques Komornicki and Pádraig Naughton at Cefic or Ron Weerdmeester at PNO Consultants. And watch out for announcements on the SusChem website and SusChem News!

SPIRE > be more

A new video for the Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency (SPIRE) PPP was premiered at the cocktail event on the eve of the SPIRE brokerage event earlier in the week in Brussels. 'SPIRE > be more' is now uploaded on the web and embedded below. Please feel free to share with colleagues and research partners.



SPIRE is a proposal for a European Public-Private Partnership (PPP) dedicated to innovation in resource and energy efficiency and enabled by the process industries. It is supported by eight European process industry sectors: cement, ceramics, chemical, engineering, minerals, non-ferrous metals, steel and water.

Find out more about SPIRE
To find out more about SPIRE visit the website or contact the SPIRE secretariat.

SPIRE ready to go for Horizon 2020

On the eve (October 21) of its first brokerage workshop, SPIRE, the proposed Horizon 2020 Public Private Partnership (PPP) on Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency, celebrated the first anniversary of A.SPIRE aisbl, the legal entity established to manage and implement the initiative, at a sparkling cocktail event at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Brussels.

Members of A.SPIRE gathered to celebrate the achievements of the organisation so far and prepare for the brokerage event that took place today (22 October) at the same venue. The SusChem Horizon 2020 brokerage event also takes place at this venue on Wednesday 23 October.

Dr Klaus Sommer, President of A.SPIRE aisbl (below, left) announced that: "SPIRE was ready to go for Horizon 2020!" He looked forward to the ideas that the Brokerage session would bring. He praised SPIRE members for the hard work that they had undertaken in almost three years of preparation and looked forward to seven years of achievement for the PPP in Horizon 2020.

Soren Bowadt of the European Commission (above, right) also praised the strong support shown for SPIRE by so many industry sectors and Member States. In particular he praised the technical strength of the SPIRE roadmap

A new and inspirational SPIRE promotional video was premiered at the cocktail event to great appreciation from members. The video is now also available on the SusChem blog.

Earlier in the day an A.SPIRE aisbl board meeting had taken place followed by a General Meeting of the association. At the meeting new organisations were approved as members of the consortium bringing the total membership to 90 entities that include companies (large and small), trade and academic associations, and research institutions from eight process sectors and over 14 countries.

Brokerage buzz
The morning of 22 October saw a capacity crowd at the Brokerage session with attendance estimated at over 200 participants. Attendance at the Brokerage meeting was restricted to members of A.SPIRE.

Klaus Sommer opened proceedings outlining the way ahead for SPIRE. "Europe has excellent R&D but had not shown such a great ability to convert this into commercial success." he said. "SPIRE will focus on projects with high TRLs (technology readiness levels) undertaking demonstration initiatives to turn research into market innovation."

And he also praised the SPIRE roadmap saying: "We have good reason to be proud of the SPIRE roadmap; it is not a political document but a tool that outlines the technical challenges for the next seven years. It is a document that is trustworthy and high quality."

Dr. Sommer outlined the immediate timetable for SPIRE. He anticipated the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commission in mid December and publication of the first calls would happen very soon after that. Project proposal responses would need to be submitted by the end of Q1 of 2014 - which was why brokerage needed to start now! "SPIRE is part of H2020!" he declared.

Horizon 2020 outlook
Soren Bowadt led the Commission's presentations on the initial potential SPIRE calls in Horizon 2020 in the manufacturing and environmental areas. "It is a real pleasure for me to stand here today and see so many people here," he said. "We still need to get a signature - but we are well on the way!"

He praised SusChem success in FP7 with projects such as the F3 factory that were lighthouse projects and had inspired a new view on the role of the process industries in EU industrial policy. He also stressed the important role in Horizon 2020 for PPPs , such as SPIRE, to implement key enabling technology strategy especially in a cross-sectoral context.

Jeroen Schuppers of the European Commission DG Research described the potential calls of interest to SPIRE in the area of energy. Most of the relevant topics will be under support for transition to a reliable sustainable and competitive energy system including CO2 capture, storage and utilisation, solar heating, and geothermal energy for process use amongst others.

Rolf Riemenschneider of DG Connect outlined potential call opportunities in ICT topics including themes that will be managed under the Factory of the Future PPP. He saw ICT as a key enabler for modernising EU's manufacturing capabilities and areas such as process monitoring and control had clear overlap with the SPIRE roadmap.

Ignacio Calleja of Tecnalia (above) and SPIRE's R&D Chair completed the formal plenary presentations. With so many people at the brokerage he already hailed it as a real success. He also thanked the Commission experts for the very clear descriptions of possible SPIRE topics in Horizon 2020 and outlined the process to develop topics from SPIRE's roadmap and their transition into potential calls. Seven SPIRE calls could be  anticipated in the first Horizon 2020 calls.

Presentations
Following the formal plenary presentation there were four breakout workshops covering the SPIRE roadmap Key Components: WASTE2RESOURCE, FEED, PROCESS, and a combined session on APLICATIONS and HORIZONTAL. In total 73 individual project proposal presentations were made over two sessions either side of lunch in these workshops.

This was followed by some short verbal presentations covering Expressions of Interest from industrial members in SPIRE-related topics before a final wrap-up session.

Clearly SPIRE is ready to take on the challenges of Horizon 2020 and make a clear and considerable impact to boost EU competitiveness by ensuring that our talent for research reaches its full potential for delivering innovations to the marketplace. SPIRE - be more!

More information
Membership of this important initiative is open to all and new members are always welcome. For more information on the SPIRE initiative and how to get involved, please visit the SPIRE website or email the SPIRE secretariat.