Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ECCSELERATE (ECCSEL ERIC – accelerating user access, growing the membership and positioning internationally to ensure long-term sustainability)
Période du rapport: 2020-01-01 au 2021-06-30
Problem addressed
ECCSEL is in its early operational phase as an ERIC.
The ECCSELERATE Project builds on previous projects, taking account of the feedback from project reviewers and the GA. It focuses on:
• Increasing use and ensuring the long-term sustainable operation of ECCSEL I
• 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 will define the next steps and facilitate the emerging developments of chain integration optimisation with 3rd generation capture technologies, and potential sustainable synergies with CCU.
This will enable researchers to generate substantial knowledge to lead 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, will enable 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 shall:
a. Increase 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
b. Improve the services provided by ECCSEL to its stakeholders including industrial, SME and academic user groups
c. Increase the utilisation of ECCSEL and promote cross-fertilization of ideas between different user groups and different regional perspectives
d. Increase and broaden ECCSEL ERIC membership
e. Assess 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
f. Widen the portfolio of facilities and services available to users, to enable technology research for various TRL levels
g. Enable technological development and innovation in ECCSEL for the benefit of European citizens
h. Provide a more balanced development of the European Research Area
i. Increase 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
j. Better anchor ECCSEL in national and regional policies
k. Facilitate access to national, international and regional funds for enhancing existing, and building new, research facilities and performing research and innovation activities
l. Secure the long-term financial sustainability of ECCSEL ERIC
ECCSEL is in its early operational phase as an ERIC.
The ECCSELERATE Project builds on previous projects, taking account of the feedback from project reviewers and the GA. It focuses on:
• Increasing use and ensuring the long-term sustainable operation of ECCSEL I
• 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 will define the next steps and facilitate the emerging developments of chain integration optimisation with 3rd generation capture technologies, and potential sustainable synergies with CCU.
This will enable researchers to generate substantial knowledge to lead 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, will enable 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 shall:
a. Increase 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
b. Improve the services provided by ECCSEL to its stakeholders including industrial, SME and academic user groups
c. Increase the utilisation of ECCSEL and promote cross-fertilization of ideas between different user groups and different regional perspectives
d. Increase and broaden ECCSEL ERIC membership
e. Assess 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
f. Widen the portfolio of facilities and services available to users, to enable technology research for various TRL levels
g. Enable technological development and innovation in ECCSEL for the benefit of European citizens
h. Provide a more balanced development of the European Research Area
i. Increase 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
j. Better anchor ECCSEL in national and regional policies
k. Facilitate access to national, international and regional funds for enhancing existing, and building new, research facilities and performing research and innovation activities
l. Secure the long-term financial sustainability of ECCSEL ERIC
WP1 increased awareness of ECCSEL capabilities with the industrial sector and significant increased potential of industrial use of the RI in a number of workshops organised by ECCSELERATE.
It collected information on the services requested from the industry and investigated their embedding in the ECCSEL operations.
It also provided better understanding of the embedding of the CO2 utilization activities and priorities within ECCSEL. This provides a good starting point for the further implementation of services targeted at utilization in industry.
WP2 prepared the basis for further development of the ECCSEL Infrastructure. It establish a draft template of the 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 and KPIs to validate improvements and started to revise ECCSEL research strategies on Transport and Storage, as well as followed up work on Capture in WP1
WP3 helped to enlarge the ECCSEL community, reaching new potential users and stakeholders with the dedicated capacity building programme (especially the webinar series). This resulted in an increased interest especially from industry and a good geographical distribution of attendees.
The preannouncement of the first TA call attracted the interest of many industrial stakeholders, who asked for further info on the call and are ready to apply at it, as soon as it is launched.
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 from the founding country members, thus 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 has contributed so far to:
• contribute 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 in establishing pan-European research infrastructures
• enable researchers to address societal challenges with a global dimension
WP5 has contributed significantly to the development of tools and material to improve visibility and position ECCSEL nationally and internationally. WP5 has developed information packs tailored to addressing specific stakeholder perspectives and requirements to aid discussions and gain agreement to collaborate with ECCSEL in a meaningful and effective way. WP5 was instrumental in bringing the ECCSEL image up to date with new branding and new approaches to promotion and communication through functioning, active social media channels. WP5 has provided expertise in improving ECCSEL’s messaging and the design and delivery of webinars and online multimedia content. Finalising the MOU with EERA is a significant milestone for ECCSEL’s positioning within CCS implementation in Europe, and the expected MOU with CSLF will have similar impact internationally. WP5 has also helped ensure ECCSEL is prominent in the texts of funding calls and coordinating initiatives. This provides 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.
It collected information on the services requested from the industry and investigated their embedding in the ECCSEL operations.
It also provided better understanding of the embedding of the CO2 utilization activities and priorities within ECCSEL. This provides a good starting point for the further implementation of services targeted at utilization in industry.
WP2 prepared the basis for further development of the ECCSEL Infrastructure. It establish a draft template of the 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 and KPIs to validate improvements and started to revise ECCSEL research strategies on Transport and Storage, as well as followed up work on Capture in WP1
WP3 helped to enlarge the ECCSEL community, reaching new potential users and stakeholders with the dedicated capacity building programme (especially the webinar series). This resulted in an increased interest especially from industry and a good geographical distribution of attendees.
The preannouncement of the first TA call attracted the interest of many industrial stakeholders, who asked for further info on the call and are ready to apply at it, as soon as it is launched.
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 from the founding country members, thus 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 has contributed so far to:
• contribute 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 in establishing pan-European research infrastructures
• enable researchers to address societal challenges with a global dimension
WP5 has contributed significantly to the development of tools and material to improve visibility and position ECCSEL nationally and internationally. WP5 has developed information packs tailored to addressing specific stakeholder perspectives and requirements to aid discussions and gain agreement to collaborate with ECCSEL in a meaningful and effective way. WP5 was instrumental in bringing the ECCSEL image up to date with new branding and new approaches to promotion and communication through functioning, active social media channels. WP5 has provided expertise in improving ECCSEL’s messaging and the design and delivery of webinars and online multimedia content. Finalising the MOU with EERA is a significant milestone for ECCSEL’s positioning within CCS implementation in Europe, and the expected MOU with CSLF will have similar impact internationally. WP5 has also helped ensure ECCSEL is prominent in the texts of funding calls and coordinating initiatives. This provides 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.
ECCSEL meets the pronounced need for a dedicated research environment, striving to close specific knowledge gaps, pushing the forefront of technological development beyond the state-of-the-art, and thereby accelerating the commercialisation and deployment of CCUS.Through a TA call focussing on closing existing knowledge gaps ECCSEL will actively support the progress beyond the state of the art.