Project description
Making sure mining waste and waste heat are not lost
From steel and food production to electronics, manufacturing processes and machines generate heat, which should not be wasted and lost. The EU-funded START project will capture and directly convert waste heat into electric power. This will be achieved by developing sustainable thermoelectric (TE) systems, with the further added value of exploiting European mine wastes for the TE materials, thus bypassing the supply of critical raw materials from third countries. Overall, the START concept represents a major opportunity to improve the overall energy efficiency and to increase resource productivity and reduce resource dependence and waste, in line with the objectives of the Green Deal and the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan.
Objective
START project primary objective is to build an innovation ecosystem in the European Union (EU) based on the development of sustainable and economically viable thermoelectric (TE) waste heat harvesting systems to be applied in heavy industry and in maritime industry as well as primary power source for off-grid sensors and IoT devices. This objective will be achieved by incorporating abundant sulphides (mainly tetrahedrite mineral series), at present an environment hazard in mine tailings, collected in five European countries, in the production of advanced sulphide p-type TE thermoelements. In contrast, current commercial TE devices incorporate p-type and n-type TE thermoelements that are produced from expensive and rare elements, namely tellurium, which is predominantly sourced in China. The impact of START project approach on endorsing a more sustainable and resilient EU comes from three inputs. First, by reducing EU?s dependence on primary critical raw materials. Secondly, through the promotion of circular economy processes that will create value in EU by building a strategic ecosystem based on a high-abundant mineral. Just recently, it was demonstrated by our team that the mineral was amenable to processing to single phase p-type tetrahedrite. Thirdly, by the production of TE energy harvesting systems offering a contribution to the reduction of fossil fuels consumption with a great impact on the increase of the overall efficiency of energy production and consumption systems, as well as on the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions. For that, START project aggregates research organizations, with strong background and knowledge on geology, materials science and renewable energies, and industrial organizations that guarantee the entire production and exploitation supply chain.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesrecycling
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energy
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringmining and mineral processing
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
4466-901 S.Mamede De Infesta
Portugal
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Participants (15)
1050-068 LISBOA
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
28003 Madrid
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30655 Hannover
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1050 Bruxelles / Brussel
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
01-919 WARSZAWA
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
6395 Hochfilzen
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1190 Wien
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38787 Santa Cruz De La Palma
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
31030 Carbonera
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
31100 Treviso
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1721 PW BROEK OP LANGEDIJK
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
81704 Bratislava
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7034 Trondheim
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2860 SOEBORG
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
28006 Madrid
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