Innovative WAter recoverY Solutions through recycling of heat, materials and water across multiple sectors

Project Information

iWAYS

Grant agreement ID: 958274

DOI

10.3030/958274

Project closed

EC signature date 24 September 2020

Start date 1 December 2020

End date 30 November 2025

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced manufacturing and processing

Total cost

€ 12 806 610,25

EU contribution

€ 10 596 775,13

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - iWAYS (Innovative WAter recoverY Solutions through recycling of heat, materials and water across multiple sectors)

Reporting period: 2022-06-01 to 2023-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

iWAYS (Innovative WAter recoverY Solutions through recycling of heat, materials and water across multiple sectors) is an initiative promoted by 19 partners from 9 EU countries, last 4 years and will apply its solutions and designs in 3 industrial cases: Italy (ceramic), Spain (steel) and Sweden (chemical).
iWAYS received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement nº 958274 and officially started in December 2020. To ensure the greatest impact, the project will be promoted, and its results disseminated to the right stakeholders. This is granted by project website https://www.iways.eu/ and social media channels (linkedin, twitter, etc..).
In the framework of the iWAYS project, a synergy between energy/water reclamation and exploitation is addressed by the development and installation of a wide array of technologies in three different industrial sectors: ceramic tile manufacturing, aluminium fluoride production and steel tubes manufacturer. The principal challenge of iWAYS will be to recover water and energy from complex industrial exhausts via the development of new technologies and methodology. iWAYS systems will then treat the condensate to meet the water quality requirements of each industrial process, while the recovered heat will be used to reduce primary energy consumption. iWAYS will recover additional materials from flue gas such as valuable acids or particulates, improving the production’s raw material efficiency and reducing detrimental emissions to the environment. Alternative fresh water sources such as surface run-off are also considered to meet sustainable water supply goals.
The iWAYS system is bespoke and tailored for each industrial case and is comprised of three main technologies: exhaust and material condensation, water treatment and decision support system based on Realtime monitoring system. The recovery and reutilization of substantial amount of heat through steam condensation is achieved by means of a Heat Pipe Condensing Economizer (HPCE) while the water treatment systems include well established innovative technologies based on the specific requirements of the end users.
Thus, iWAYS aims at near-zero discharge plant using closed-loop systems in combination with recovery of energy and/or substances (resources) through the development of integrated water-smart strategies for industrial processes.

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

Over the course of three years, the project has progressed through distinct phases. In the initial phase (WP2, inactive in M18-36), the demo cases were characterized by collecting industrial process data to design specific iWAYS systems. Subsequent stages (M18-36, WP3, WP4, and WP5) focused on designing and manufacturing the iWAYS systems. WP3 involved creating monitoring and control systems, while WP4 designed water treatment systems based on end users' requirements and chemical compositions. Notably, industrial-scale systems have been installed and tested in Italy and Sweden, with the Spanish democase nearing completion.

WP5 concentrated on designing and manufacturing heat pipe-based Condensing Economisers (HPCE) for each demonstration case. Lab-scale HPCEs were tested, and industrial-sized versions are scheduled for installation in the three demo cases during spring 2024.

WP6 aimed to establish a common process for integrating technologies. Progress includes the development of an integration plan, and preparations for iWAYS technology accommodation are underway.

WP8 has focused on developing customized models for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) specific to each use case. The primary goal is to conduct comprehensive assessments within current technological scenarios and explore circular actions, such as industrial symbiosis synergies.

In terms of dissemination (WP9), the project has defined a Communication and Dissemination Master Plan, producing content for the website, social networks, scientific papers, journalistic articles, videos, brochures, infographics, and events to effectively communicate the iWAYS 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)

In iWAYS there is an incredible potential for savings energy and water across multiple industrial sectors. Indeed, the iWAYS solution will recover energy from challenging exhaust streams where it is today not viable and economical. The identified iWAYS waste source are exhaust gases which contain humidity and pollutants; thus, heated water and other pollutants will be recovered to be reused within the industrial process.
The estimations of the iWAYS project are to save, for the ceramic company, 10 000 t per year of water and approximately 6 GWh of thermal energy to be reused in the process. For the chemical industry, the estimation is to recover approximately 4 000 litre per hour of water and to save up to 5 GWh of thermal energy. Finally, in the steel industry, 450 litre per hour saved of water and 0.7 GWh per year of thermal energy saving. As it can be noticed, these are very promising figures that will drive a huge reduction of the environmental impact of the industrial processes. The iWAYS solution could be replicated across the different facilities of the Partners involved.
There is also a positive political framework to introduce to the market the iWAYS solution as energy intensive industries (EII) will be asked to be carbon neutral by 2050. If the results obtained in the three demo cases of iWAYS is to be extrapolated to similar industrial plants existing in Europe, an extremely significant impact in Europe could be expected with consequent CO2 emissions and water savings. The latter would impact directly on the welfare of the European citizen.

project roll-up