Objective
SOLDEM (Solar Decarbonisation of Metal Melting) will demonstrate the world’s first solar-hybrid melting process for brass and stainless-steel scraps, replacing fossil-based furnaces with an integrated renewable solution. By combining concentrated solar heat, renewable electricity, and solar hydrogen, SOLDEM will provide a constant, robust, low-carbon energy input to energy-intensive metallurgy. The project will validate two 350 kW hybrid reactors (solar-induction/arc and H2/O2 burner), supported by a high-concentration solar furnace and a 60 kW photoelectrochemical device for generation of H2/O2. Together, those component models will be integrated into a digital plant simulator fed by experimental data to de-risk scale-up.
SOLDEM will (i) enable the integrated use of multiple renewable carriers (solar heat, electricity and green H2) in industrial sites, (ii) foster circular industrial cooperation through scrap-to-product loops and energy sharing, (iii) support grid stability via hybrid short- and long-term storage, (iv) implement ESPR-compliant renewable energy labelling and traceability, and (v) demonstrate technical and economic feasibility with CO2 emissions as low as 39–41 gCO2/kg (80–93% reduction vs electric furnace) at competitive costs (0.20–0.83 €/kg) and ESPR-aligned business cases with ROI < 2 years.
The SOLDEM validated plant is expected to produce 1510–2670 t/y brass and 1090–1850 t/y stainless steel from locally collected machining scraps, cutting dependency on imports, reducing industrial emissions, and reinforcing industrial regional clusters.
The SOLDEM consortium unites leading research centers (CNRS, DLR, KUL, CENER), SMEs (Panatere, Bulane, SOHHYTEC, CSP-Boost), and industrial users (Radiall, Amphenol, Socrate, RINA), ensuring excellence from technology to market replication. SOLDEM will pave the way for competitive, renewable and circular metallurgy in Europe, strengthening industrial resilience and leadership in climate-neutral value chains.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.4.9 - Low-Carbon and Clean Industries
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2025-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75794 Paris
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.