EU resource and energy intensive industries face several challenges to decrease energy consumption and their dependence on fossil fuels. BAMBOO project aims at introducing new technologies that support the energy transition towards a decarbonized system, able to adapt consumption and production patterns to the fluctuations in renewable energy supply.
Led by the Spanish technology centre Fundación CIRCE and drawn on the cutting-edge expertise of nineteen partners from eight European countries, BAMBOO project focuses on four different REII (steel, petrochemicals, pulp & paper and minerals), the project will deploy full energy flexibility through the application and integration of the following innovations:
- Decision Support System (DSS) for flexibility management;
- Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC);
- High temperature heat pump;
- Flame monitoring system;
- Drying process for bio-sludge valorisation;
- Multifuel low-NOx burners.
These developments expect to increase the industrial competitiveness by means of the flexibility of the processes reaching 15-20% reduction in the energy costs, improving efficiency 17-20% and reducing 5-23% GHG emissions.
During the first year of the project, an exhaustive characterisation of the plants where BAMBOO solutions will be demonstrated has been carried out. This analysis has been focused on determining the real flexibility potential of the plants and collecting the information and specifications required for the development of the different technologies. Technical visits together with specific studies at the plants have been also started in order to support the design of the solutions and the definition of the use cases for each demo-site.
Next steps and goals to be achieved during the coming year will be defined in detail in next meeting that will be hosted by the Austrian Institute of Technology at his head offices in Vienna. The first prototypes of the solutions will be ready for their testing at lab scale in the coming months. Technology providers and research centres will be working hand-in-hand to have the detailed modelling of the technologies and processes and the detailed engineering of the solutions available for demonstrators at the end of next year.
