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HERCCULES: HEROES IN SOUTHERN EUROPE TO DECARBONIZE INDUSTRY WITH CCUS

Project description

A closer look at carbon capture technologies in industrial facilities

Europe is making important strides in terms of carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS) technologies that can reduce CO2 emissions. It is the only pathway for greenhouse gas emission reductions from industries that generate CO2 as part of their production process. However, several economic, regulatory and societal challenges need to be addressed. In this context, the EU-funded HERCCULES project will define a first-of-a-kind, integrated and replicable approach for the implementation of the whole CCUS chain to two strategic sectors of the circular economy – cement and energy from waste (EfW). The project will focus on two clusters of emitters in northern Italy (cement + EfW) and Greece (cement). HERCCULES will demonstrate its technologies in these areas.

Objective

HERCCULES aims at defining a first-of-a-kind, integrated and replicable approach for the implementation of the whole CCUS chain to two strategic sectors of the circular economy - Cement and Energy-from-Waste (EfW) – in an area – Italy and Greece – where the industrial promise of CCUS is largely unexplored. Leveraging on the potential of two clusters of emitters in Northern Italy (cement + EfW) and Greece (cement), HERCCULES will pave the way towards the implementation of the first full-scale CCUS chain in Southern Europe.
Technological, infrastructural, safety, societal, regulatory and financial issues will be addressed by a multidisciplinary approach to build an “HERCCULES paradigm” comprising nine basic chapters.
1) TRL7-8 demonstration of 2 flexible and retrofittable CO2 capture technologies, to be tested in 2 large-scale cement plants + 1 EfW plant with residual waste/biomass feed to approach nearly zero or negative emissions (>9000 h of tests).
2) Design of the optimal CO2 transport network for utilization and storage under different infrastructural evolution scenarios.
3) TRL8 Geological storage of captured CO2 in the two most advanced CO2 sites in Southern Europe (Prinos and Ravenna).
4) Demonstration in industrial environment of novel CO2 mineralization solutions and re-use technologies for the production of a breakthrough hydraulic binder enabling the industrial production of a carbon-sink concrete (>1000 h of tests).
5) Experimentally-supported, Techno-Economic Analyses with risk assessment to ensure the safety of the full CCUS chain.
6) Advancement of societal readiness through a participative approach.
7) Identification of business models and financial mechanisms tailored to CCUS.
8) TRL8-9 pre-FEED studies on the most promising HERCCULES implementation options.
9) Ad-hoc case studies to verify the replicability of the HERCCULES paradigm.
Know-how, data and models will converge into a dedicated exploitation plan to seed CCUS across Europe.

Coordinator

LABORATORIO ENERGIA AMBIENTE PIACENZA
Net EU contribution
€ 2 527 500,00
Address
VIA NINO BIXIO 27
29121 Piacenza
Italy

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Region
Nord-Est Emilia-Romagna Piacenza
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 2 527 500,00

Participants (30)