Integrating National Research Agendas on Solar Heat for Industrial Processes

Project Information

INSHIP

Grant agreement ID: 731287

DOI

10.3030/731287

Project closed

EC signature date 25 November 2016

Start date 1 January 2017

End date 31 December 2020

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 2 858 798,75

EU contribution

€ 2 498 661,25

Coordinated by

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - INSHIP (Integrating National Research Agendas on Solar Heat for Industrial Processes)

Reporting period: 2019-07-01 to 2020-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Gathering the participation of 28 European R&D institutions from 12 countries, the Project INSHIP aims at the establishment of a European Common Research and Innovation Agenda (ECRIA) engaging major European research institutes into an integrated structure while developing coordinated R&D TRLs 2-5 activities.
R&D activities are framed in coordination actions aiming the alignment of policies, networking activities or dissemination, but including also a Research Infrastructure Access Scheme fostering Joint Research activities aligned with the ECRIA’s specific research topics and open to Consortia involving INSHIP partners and Industry.
Besides the coordination objectives, research objectives have the ambition of progressing Solar Heat to Industrial Processes (SHIP) beyond the state-of-the-art through:
• an easier integration of low and medium temperature technologies suiting the operation, durability and reliability requirements of industrial end users;
• expanding the range of SHIP applications to the EI sector through the development of suitable process embedded solar concentrating technologies, overcoming the present barrier of applications only in the LT and MT temperature ranges;
• increasing the synergies within industrial parks, through centralized heat distribution networks and exploiting the potential synergies of these networks with district heating and with the electricity grid,
thus aiming at a full-fledged exploitation of SHIP potential across sectors and temperature levels in both existing and new industrial capacity.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Along this third reporting and final project period and summarizing the entire project, the main progresses achieved were related to:
- the development and implementation of project coordination and support procedures within the Consortium: document templates, reporting rules, project management tools and implementation of the project website;
- set up of coordination activities, such as the National Stakeholders Groups and ruling of the Stakeholders Group, the definition of Research Infrastructures, implementation of the IP Repository, the implementation, adaption and redefinition of IAScheme and RMScheme mobilities and the implementation of all National Workshops
- the deployment of a formal alignment of the project activities with the EERA JP CSP Subprogramme 6 "Solar heat for Industrial Processes" and the actual establishment of this Subprogramme, thus creating a consortium and governance structure for the development of activities foreseen in the pursuit of the ECRIA objectives beyond the execution of INSHIP
- contributions to the definition and implementation of a SHIP related Task in the framework of the IEA: the IEA joint SHC/SolarPACES Task 64/IV adressing SHIP up to approx. 400°C, and to the updating discussions on the IEA SolarPACES Task IV adressing SHIP > 400°C;
- assessment and approval of a total of 9 IAScheme proposals and their successful implementation;
- development and implementation of 29 Researcher Mobility activities; 21 in reporting period #3
- development and discussion of RTD and specialization strategies and alignment of national funding and policies to INSHIP ECRIA objectives and topics, in WPs 7 and 8;
- a clear definition and deployment of concrete Research Activities and Consortia, based on both EC and in-kind contributions, aligned with each of the Tasks defined in the different Coordinated Projects, WPs 2 to 5.
- successful completion and creation of results within the 44 concrete Research Activities and Consortia in the different Coordinated Projects, WPs 2 to 5;
- overall successful delivery of Project Deliverables and achievement of project Milestones by the end of the third reporting period and thus by the end of the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The alignment of R&D activities in SHIP, as proposed in the ECRIA, will pursue concrete objectives ambition of progressing SHIP beyond the state-of-the-art regarding:
• technology integration aspects: supporting the integration of Low Temperature (LT) and Medium Temperature (MT) solar thermal technologies in industrial applications (reliability and durability of components, integration into existing heat distribution networks, integration into industrial processes);
• solar technology development aspects: through the development of High Temperature (HT) solar thermal technologies or low TRL designs for LT and MT technologies aiming an efficient use of available area for the installation of solar fields in industrial sites;
• energy system integration aspects: through the development of hybridization concepts, centralized heat distribution networks, thermal storage management or process intensification related activities.

The successful completion of all networking activities and the creation of a governance structure beyond INSHIP strengthened the European SHIP community and will, together with the technical progress beyond the state-of-the-art, in the medium to long term contribute to a broader market penetration and rollout of SHIP technologies in the low, medium and high temperature ranges. Promoting and supporting a European Leadership in SHIP technologies and applications, they are expected to have an overall positive socio-economic impact both in terms of added value and job creation and on the reduction of CO2 emissions. Hybridised with other renewable heat supply technologies and integrated into industrial processes and supply networks, SHIP technologies will provide a key contribution to the decarbonisation of the industrial sector envisioned and required to reach Europe's 2050 climate goals.

INSHIP participants at the 4th GA Meeting in the historical premises of the UEvora, Portugal.