CEM - Abstract

Abstract Information :

The LIFE programme was established in 1992 and is the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with added-value.

Since its start, LIFE has been continuously co-funding innovative projects that help address the EU's transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, strategically underpinning the implementation of the EU strategy on climate change and demonstrating ways to meet the climate action challenges from now to 2030. With regards to energy intensive industries, LIFE projects have deployed innovative and integrated solutions aiming at reducing GHG emissions by EU's energy intensive industries.

In particular, LIFE has focused on demonstrating the technical viability and environmental benefit of recovering waste heat from industrial production processes, showing how widespread application of heat recovery systems on EII would lead to a significant reduction of power consumption and an improvement in the performance of the fume depuration plants, enabling to meet the EU's goals concerning CO2 emission reductions. Other projects have showcased innovative laser-furnace technologies to lower the firing temperature for numerous industrial production processes, successfully reducing the energy consumption and allowing the minimization of CO2 emissions. Another LIFE category has tested and recommended highly replicable combustion systems, such as rotating regenerator exchangers for combustion and energy recovery, as an environmentally-friendly alternative of classic recuperators, that enhances the performance of preheating combustion air and significantly decreases the energy consumption and subsequently the CO2 and N2O emissions produced during the combustion of natural gas.

Below you can find some indicative examples of successful LIFE projects on EII-related themes:

The LIFE CleanOx project demonstrates an innovative radiative heat exchanger-based HeatOx solution, validated at a tableware glass plant, which uses a special ceramic installation directly heated by hot flue gas to preheat dioxide and natural gas optionally with steam-methane reformed natural gas. For every tonne of tableware glass produced, 600 kg of carbon dioxide is emitted. This new heat-exchanger system to capture and recycle waste heat from oxy-fuel furnaces could cut process CO2 emissions by 30% and nitrous oxide emissions by 90%, as well enhancing thermal efficiency and significantly reducing operating costs. The technology is applicable to any industrial furnace operating above 700°C, meaning it could be widely used in the cement, steel and porcelain sectors, as well as the glass industry.

The SOLID LIFE project demonstrates that it is feasible to produce low-emission cement and concrete products at industrial scale in existing facilities using a low-calcite and non-hydraulic binder called Solidia. The new products will have equivalent cost, superior performance and a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional Portland cement. A key part of this project involves communicating its results to the cement production chain and raise stakeholder's awareness of the climate action benefits, in line with European policy targets.