Net-Zero Industry Act: HaDEA scaling up net-zero technologies

On 16 March, the European Commission unveiled a comprehensive plan to accelerate the adoption of clean technologies across the EU and promote a quick transition to carbon neutrality. The Net-Zero Industry Act seeks to reach EU’s carbon neutrality goals effectively by improving the investment environment for manufacturing technologies while also simplifying regulations. By 2030, this Act aims to reach at least 40% of renewable energy technology to be manufactured in the EU.

HaDEA manages projects related to the Net-Zero Industry Act:

INITIATE is using carbon capture technology to make a valuable feedstock for the chemical sector (fertilisers) out of residual carbon-rich gas from the steel sector. The project operating reliability is demonstrated in real industrial settings and its deployment is planned over the next 30 years.

HARARE is demonstrating sustainable pathways to tackle the CO₂ emissions of the metallurgical industry by recovering wastes with hydrogen from the copper and aluminum production processes and increasing the use of hydrogen in the industry. In this context, three pilots will be developed within the project: a Bauxite residue plant in Leuven (Belgium), a Plasma Rotary Furnace in Trondheim (Norway) and a Copper slag selective reductive pilot in Hamburg (Germany).

ECO2Fuel aims to design, manufacture, operate, and validate the worldwide first low-temperature 1MW direct, electrochemical CO₂ conversion system to produce economic and sustainable liquid e-fuels and chemicals.

SIDERWIN develops an electrolysis process using renewable energies to transform iron oxide into iron plates with a significant decrease of energy use. By offering a CO₂-free steel production process, the project will contribute to the reduction of the total greenhouse gas emissions of the steel industry.

RECYCALYSE develops new sustainable and recyclable catalytic materials for proton exchange membrane electrolysers used in water electrolysis, which is a key technology for storing excess renewable energy. The project will manufacture highly active sustainable oxygen evolution (OER) catalysts that will reduce or eliminate critical raw materials, as well as decreasing CO₂ emissions and costs.

PROMET-H2 aims to develop a pressurised Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE) with the lowest capital cost achieved for the production of green hydrogen by water electrolysis coupled with renewable sources, without compromising performance and durability. Such electrolyser will be coupled with a CO₂-to-methanol production pilot plant.

ARENHA demonstrates a flexible and profitable power-to-ammonia-to-usage value chain based on the development of innovative materials. In particular, the project will develop advanced solid-oxide electrolyser cells for renewable hydrogen production, catalysts for low-temperature/pressure ammonia synthesis, solid absorbents for ammonia synthesis intensification and storage, and membrane reactors for ammonia decomposition to pure hydrogen (> 99.99 %).

Platform-ZERO aims to improve the third generation photovoltaic (PV) industry thanks to a new in-line process monitoring platform and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tools for production error detection. This new technology will contribute to increasing the overall quality of high-tech PV and reducing their cost.

SUNER-C is developing a common vision and a technological roadmap for accelerating the scale-up of solar fuels and chemicals to overcome current socioeconomic, scientific and technological challenges; and to allow their large-scale industrial and societal applications. Ultimately, the goal is to substitute fossil-based fuels with solar fuels and chemicals at a reduced cost.