ECCSEL ERIC – accelerating user access, growing the membership and positioning internationally to ensure long-term sustainability

Project Information

ECCSELERATE

Grant agreement ID: 871143

DOI

10.3030/871143

Project closed

EC signature date 2 March 2020

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Research Infrastructures

Total cost

€ 4 877 668,41

EU contribution

€ 3 529 568,75

Coordinated by

ECCSEL EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ECCSELERATE (ECCSEL ERIC – accelerating user access, growing the membership and positioning internationally to ensure long-term sustainability)

Reporting period: 2021-07-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Problem addressed:
ECCSEL is in its early operational phase as an ERIC.
The ECCSELERATE Project builds on previous projects, taking into account the feedback from project reviewers and the ECCSEL General Assembly. It focused on:
• Increasing use and ensuring the long-term sustainable operation of ECCSEL
• Cost-effective sharing and use of ECCSEL ERIC RI by industry and SMEs
• Developing marketing, access and services models for industry and SMEs
• Increasing international collaboration
• Exploring the scope for extension to CO2 utilisation technology developments and potential synergies, thereby extending ECCSEL ERIC activities from CCS to CCUS
• Expanding ECCSEL ERIC membership and developing the national nodes
• Increasing ECCSEL involvement with ongoing industrial CCS projects

Importance for society: ‘enable researchers to address societal challenges with a global dimension’
The ECCSEL ERIC is a world-class CCUS RI and offers transnational access to world-leading European facilities to conduct research.
ECCSELERATE defined the next steps and facilitated the emerging developments of chain integration optimisation with 3rd generation capture technologies, and potential sustainable synergies with CCU.
This enables researchers to generate substantial knowledge leading to new innovative, cost effective solutions for CCUS, helping to ensure energy security and combat climate change by contributing to the delivery of a low carbon energy future and by contribution to strong reduction of CO2 emission by the CO2 intensive industry.

Overall objectives:
The enhancement of ECCSEL ERIC, as the European instrument relevant to CCS and CCUS research, enables high-ranking researchers and scientists from all regions, within and outside Europe, to access state-of-the-art research facilities to conduct advanced technological research.
In line with the focus areas above, the project has:
• Increased accessibility to the excellent network of facilities already established in ECCSEL for a wider user group, connect to the research and industrial community and connect research to industry and public services
• Improved the services provided by ECCSEL to its stakeholders including industrial, SME and academic user groups
• Increased the utilisation of ECCSEL and promote cross-fertilization of ideas between different user groups and different regional perspectives
• Increased and broadened ECCSEL ERIC membership
• Assessed the needs for future development of the research and innovation capabilities of its facilities, to meet anticipated user requirements for access to innovative, globally-leading technologies
• Widened the portfolio of facilities and services available to users, to enable technology research for various TRL levels
• Enabled technological development and innovation in ECCSEL for the benefit of European citizens
• Provided a more balanced development of the European Research Area
• Increased alignment and embedding of ECCSEL within the relevant European strategies, roadmaps and funding programmes and initiatives, which will serve to further anchor ECCSEL in Europe and improve the visibility and impact globally
• Better anchored ECCSEL in national and regional policies
• Facilitated access to national, international and regional funds for enhancing existing, and building new, research facilities and performing research and innovation activities
• Secured the long-term financial sustainability of ECCSEL ERIC

Concluding the project, nearly all objectives were met and isses were addressed apart from expanding ECCSEL ERIC membership. However the signatures from the new member countries Denmark and Germany were received after the project concluded and additional countries are preparing to join.

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

WP1 increased awareness of ECCSEL capabilities in industrial sectors and significantly increased potential of industrial use of the RI through targeted workshops organised by the project.
Information on services requested by the industry was gathered and investigated for their embedding in the ECCSEL operations.
WP1 also provided better understanding of the embedding of CO2 utilization activities and priorities within ECCSEL.
This supported the further implementation of services targeted at utilization in industry.
WP2 prepared for further development of the ECCSEL Infrastructure.
It established an Infrastructure Development Plan; Procedures to support the Research Infrastructure Coordination Committee in their work to develop the ECCSEL RI; A procedure to validate users experience as a tool to improve the ECCSEL Infrastructure; KPIs to validate improvements and to revise ECCSEL research strategies on Transport and Storage; Followed up work on Capture with WP1
WP3 helped to enlarge the ECCSEL community, reaching new potential users and stakeholders with a dedicated capacity building programme (especially the webinar series).
This resulted in an increased interest especially from industry with a good geographical distribution of attendees.
The 1. and 2. TNA call attracted the interest of many industrial and other stakeholders, many applying and conducting their research.
WP4 provided a higher visibility and positioning of CCUS and ECCSEL in the founding country members, and the enrichment of ECCSEL ERIC with additional facilities, for offering a wider range of facilities and services to users for various TRL levels. This resulted in the confirmation of the five founding countries to continue their membership in ECCSEL beyond the first 5 mandatory years.
WP4 contributed to:
• providing Europe with a comprehensive landscape of sustainable Research Infrastructures helping to respond to challenges in science, industry and society
• strengthen the ERA position and role in the global research environment
• reinforce the partnership between the Commission, Member States, Associated Countries and relevant stakeholders through its pan-European research infrastructure
• enable researchers to address societal challenges with a global dimension
WP5 contributed significantly to the development of tools and material to improve visibility and position ECCSEL nationally and internationally.
Information packs were developed addressing specific stakeholder perspectives and requirements to aid discussions and gain agreement to collaborate with ECCSEL in a meaningful and effective way.
The ECCSEL image was brought up to date with new branding and new approaches to promotion and communication through functioning, active social media channels.
It provided expertise in improving ECCSEL’s messaging and the design and delivery of webinars and online multimedia content.
Finalising an MOU with EERA and CSLF was a significant milestone for ECCSEL’s positioning within CCS implementation in Europe and internationally.
WP5 has also helped ensure ECCSEL is visible in funding calls and coordinating initiatives.
WP6 provided a solid foundation and ongoing relevance to expand ECCSEL to new members and encourage users to the RI, which helps ensure ECCSEL’s sustainability in the long term.

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)

ECCSEL meets the need for a dedicated research environment, defined and closed specific knowledge gaps, pushing the forefront of technological development beyond the state-of-the-art, and thereby accelerated the commercialisation and deployment of CCUS. A TA call focussing on closing existing knowledge gaps actively supported the progress beyond the state of the art.

The ECCSEL ERIC Research Infrastructure