WEEI

The EFENERVI project aims to evaluate the hybridisation of technologies based on renewable energies and high-performance equipment to meet the energy demand of the production process in the production of wine and cava, as well as the optimal operating strategies of its process and consumption, in order to maximise energy efficiency as well as strategies for optimising demand, based on a series of technical, economic and environmental indicators. Promoting the innovation and sustainability of the wine-making sector, the project works to experimentally demonstrate the economic and energy viability of the solutions studied in the pilot facilities. [...]

Boosting the food industry towards a more intelligent, predictive, prescriptive managent model with a lower environmental impact. The ALIMENTE21 project aims to increase the availability and efficiency of resources, both industrial and raw materials, of the food industry, as well as its production processes. This boost is applied to the multiple links of the value chain, while guaranteeing the safety and quality of procedures. The mission of ALIMENTE21 is to research and develop cutting-edge solutions based on artificial intelligence, big data, edge computing and digital twin, with the aim of advancing the food industrial organization towards [...]

Development of technologies to remove pollutants from soils, sediments, surface- and groundwater, that can be harmful to human health. The PROMISCES project develops, tests and demonstrates in the field, under real-life conditions, key technologies and innovations to monitor, prevent and remediate industrial persistent and mobile and potentially toxic pollutants in the soil-sediment-water system. At this sense, PROMISCES project identifies how industrial pollution prevents the deployment of the circular economy (CE) in the EU and which strategies help overcome key bottlenecks to deliver the ambitions of the European Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan. PROMISCES considers [...]

Improvements in mycoremediation technology for the recovery of contaminated soils. The LIFE MySOIL project develops a competitive and innovative technology to demonstrate the feasibility of mycoremediation to full-scale configuration. Mycoremediation is a type of bioremediation that uses fungal inocula to degrade (or accumulate) pollutants. The advantage of mycoremediation is that it retains the benefits of bioremediation treatments, including low economic, social and environmental costs, while increasing the removal efficiencies up to similar figures of thermal desorption. Mycoremediation is a very widely studied technology at lab-scale and there exists a few experiences at bench-scale, a paucity of information [...]

Sustainable on-site remediation technologies for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated groundwater. The LIFE SOuRCE project aims to demonstrate an innovative cost-efficient and versatile remediation solution for PFAS contaminated groundwater, which is able to remove long-chain PFAS (> 99 %) and short-chain PFAS (> 95 %). The project represents an affordable solution covering the broadest range of contaminated site characteristics, for meeting the new EU Drinking Water Directive targets. PFAS substances are a group of highly persistent chemical antigens presents in the environment and in the human body, which are difficult to degrade and can accumulate over [...]

Development and standardization of the mycoremediation of hydrocarbon polluted soils. The Torres Quevedo project evaluates the performance of this technology in a systematically manner with soils of different texture, with different inoculum substrates addition and under different environmental conditions (temperature and humidity). One of the main outputs of the project is the release of a mycoremediation implementation guide to help companies and organisations during the application of this treatment. Mycoremediation is a technique which is currently under development. One of the principal obstacles to become a reference technology is the lack of consensus on the ideal [...]

Development of an alternative source of Critical Raw Materials (CRM) on Aluminium Alloys for electrical vehicles. The SALEMA project, coordinated by Eurecat, proposes a circular economy model using scrap metal as an alternative source of CRM and the substitution of them for commonly available alloying elements. The project is addressing in a coordinated and cooperative manner the key challenges in the different levels of the value chain: Improving scrap classification and sorting systems to turn scrap into a valuable raw material Demonstrating the feasibility to substitute CRMs in alloying systems Developing recycled aluminium alloys with improved [...]

High-performance steels addressed to electric mobility sector obtained through the use of recycled material. Currently, the European industry and mobility is facing a two-pronged challenge: the need of obtaining materials with increasing performance and cost competitiveness, while at the same time, reducing their ecological footprint and foreign dependency. Affordable and indefinitely recyclable, high performance steel is an attractive solution to this conundrum. The ReMove project aims to obtain two advanced materials needed for electric mobility sector through material recycling routes: Boron steel for press hardening, a high-performance structural material which has become the current standard in [...]

Innovative insulating and energy storage materials in building envelopes that have climate adaption capabilities. The iClimaBuilt project develops and implements advanced energy technologies materials, with improved insulation and energy harvesting properties, for smart building materials which have the ability to adapt to a diversity of climates. On the other hand, iClimaBuilt updates and designs facilities called “Open Innovation Test Bed”, which provide the industry with services focused on the design, development, testing and validation of different technologies and materials for saving energy and reducing emissions. Additionally, to promote Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEB), the project will provide [...]

New digital cloud-based genotype to phenotype platform relying on Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence and using large-scale publicly available and experimental omics datasets. The GLOMICAVE project, coordinated by Eurecat, addresses the need to build systems that allow the use of primary data analytical processes and support large-scale omic experiments, thus maximising the utility of omic data at a massive level and increasing the understanding of biological systems as a whole. The new open platform developed by the project has the objective to assist experts and non-experts in identifying and understanding new links between genotype and [...]

New waste effluent treatment system to convert and recover useful and sustainable resources such as biogas, bio-fertilizers and regenerated water. The LIFE INFUSION project demonstrates and validates a new wastewater treatment purification system, based on the circular economy concept, which allows to recover sustainable resources such as biogas, regenerated water, nutrients or bio-fertilizers. LIFE INFUSION project has the main objective of improving the current treatment of wastewater from municipal waste treatment, through a series of technological processes that do not destroy the nutrients contained in these waters. With this innovative solution, which combines various biological treatment [...]

Design, manufacturing and validation of the next generation of battery packs for the automotive mass-market. The MARBEL project develops an innovative and competitive lightweight battery with increased energy density and shorter recharging times with the objective to accelerate the mass market take-up of electric vehicles. The project innovation is based on the following main pillars: Advanced battery packaging using a Design for Assembly (DfA) and Disassembly (DfD) methodology. Lightweight and sustainable Battery Packaging. Solutions and processes for the sustainable dismantling and 2nd life Flexible advanced battery management systems. Ultra-Fast Charging strategies and enhanced thermal management Procedures for [...]

Raising awareness of legislation on water saving and reusing to promote the circular economy in the tourism sector. The WAT’SAVEREUSE project overall objective is to explain the benefits of water legislation and national initiatives to promote the circular economy in water consumption, particularly in the tourism industry, targeting both water savings and water reuse, with a special focus on the Mediterranean environment. In the framework of the project, which counts with the participation of Eurecat’s Sustainability Area, different awareness raising campaigns addressing four identified target groups will be carried out. The action to achieve the main [...]

Systemic and holistic approach towards the creation of a European Union market for locally-produced circular textiles and clothing made from bio-based waste. The HEREWEAR project has the objective to promote new materials solutions on the latest bio-based polyesters and cellulose developments. The Functional Textiles Unit of Eurecat participates in the project developing, at semi-industrial scale, emerging sustainable technologies for wet and melt spinning and their transformation into yarn and fabrics. On the other hand, the Unit of Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact (WEEI) of Eurecat participates in tasks related to the eco-friendly enzymatic treatment for finishing [...]

New sustainable products through the transformation of ladle slag into high value-added products. The CYCLO-SLAG project develops an innovative and sustainable solution by transforming ladle slag into high value-added products with the aim to promote a sustainable approach and diversify the industrial sectors and markets for the final products. In this way, the use of ladle slag would be made profitable by turning it into a resource capable of generating income and, at the same time, reducing the costs associated with its management, increasing the competitiveness of the company and reducing the environmental impact of steel [...]