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Transformation of energy intensive process industries through integration of energy, process, and feedstock flexibility

Project description

Toolkit for intensive process industries’ sustainable transformation

The glass, copper, aluminium and water industries are known for their energy-intensive processes. The EU-funded TRINEFLEX project aims to implement an integrated energy intensive industries transformation toolkit in five unique demonstration sites. The toolkit will function as an end-to-end service, managing the plant’s digital life cycle and facilitating the transition to flexible and sustainable operation, following the `X-as-a-service model´. This process will rely on advanced and green data acquisition, Big Data infrastructures, process analysis, model development, and digital twins with integrated multi-agent decision support systems. The project will integrate transformative technologies (from energy efficiency, clean energy, sustainable fuels and feedstocks, and carbon capture, usage and storage sectors) in synergy with advanced digital solutions to demonstrate flexibility measures towards energy neutrality.

Objective

TRINEFLEX is an integrated EII-transformation toolkit following the `X as a service model´. For the end-users (EIIs), TRINEFLEX will function as an end-to-end service managing the plant?s digital lifecycle and the process of transition to flexible and sustainable operation. This process will be enabled by advanced and green data acquisition, Big Data Infrastructures, process analysis, model development and finally Digital Twins with integrated multi-agent decision support systems. TRINEFLEX will be implemented at each of five demonstration sites with unique challenges, from 4 sectors: glass, copper, aluminium and water industries. The implementation will be supported through the integration of transformative technologies (from the energy efficiency, clean energy, sustainable fuels and feedstocks and CCUS sectors), that synergise with the powerful digital solutions to demonstrate flexibility measures towards energy neutrality. Additionally, TRINEFLEX is designed for rapid replicability in these sectors and high transferability in other P4Planet sectors centred on energy flexibility on the short term and industrial symbiosis on the long term.

TRINEFLEX will mobilise local stakeholders and communities into new ways of interacting with the energy and process industries: Capacity building, open science, and introducing new forms of sustainable economic activity. Service- and community-based demand/response will be employed to leverage local energy resources, coupled with emphasis on sustainable fuels and feedstocks, accelerating the adoption of industrial-urban symbiosis.

8 large companies, 7 SMEs will work with RTOs and supporting entities to achieve over 8% reduction of energy costs, 18% peak reduction, flexibility cost below 1.2 €/kWh, over 8% energy demand reduction that are projected to yield over 330GWh of energy savings, 45M€ in energy costs and CO2 tax, over 110kt of CO2 averted and over 800 jobs created by 2030. TRINEFLEX private investment is around 4M€.

Participants (2)