FRACTION aims to provide a competitive lignocellulosic biorefinery concept flexible to adapt and optimise the production process to a wide range of feedstocks, variable market demand and fluctuating economics while overcoming the lignocellulose separation and purification drawbacks. FRACTION proposes the development and scale up of a novel biorefinery scheme for the processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks based on an organosolv fractionation process using gamma valerolactone as green solvent which will allow operating with high biomass loading, mild operation conditions, eliminating separation steps and offering extra feedstock flexibility in the plant. All of this, achieving an outstanding biomass-to-products yield with high-purity streams of lignin and hemicellulose ready to further valorisation into high added value applications, while still maintaining high-grade cellulose as main product. The project will also develop new downstream conversion technologies for the synthesis and validation of novel building blocks such as furfural, maleic acid, succinic acid, 1,5-PDO, ketoses, alkyl lactates and lignin-derived molecules. The project, which covers all the value chain including end-of-life options, shows a strong industrial involvement which ensures successful post-project exploitation, and engages with other relevant stakeholders such as primary producers. Thanks to the results of FRACTION, the bio-based industry sector will have access to a new flexible pretreatment technology which can be optimised for several types of biomass and be adapted towards certain fractions, thus improving the business case for bio-based products and chemicals biorefineries. In addition, the already proven reduction of separation costs and improved environmental performance, will turn the business model from the current on (risky in terms of financial security and capital intense) into a more attractive investment, able to unlock many sustainable supply chains.

ELECTRA demonstrates that electric heating can substitute fossil fuels in the cement, lime, and pulp industries. ELECTRA develops and validates in real life emission-free, electrically heated cement and lime production process in MW scale capable of reaching temperature up to 2000°C. By using low-emission electricity instead of combustion for decomposing calcium carbonate, and by capturing the carbon dioxide produced in the production process, it is possible to run a cement plant with close to zero carbon dioxide emissions providing even negative-emission cement and lime products for the society. Successful implementation of ELECTRA will eliminate fuel-related CO2-emissions from the industries targeted by 30-50% of total process emissions, depending on the industry and mode of operation. Scalability and replicability is showcased by the platform-based solutions offering modularity, and the possibility is there to run in various hybrid modes in a transition period, lowering initial CAPEX. They allow for both new electric installations and revamping of old ones. Platform-based modular automation practices can potentially accelerate electrification by up to 5 years. Different applications also require different properties for lime and therefore variations of electrically heated processes are developed to support and complement MW scale demonstration. Replacing combustion processes with electricity-based solutions and significantly increasing emission-free electricity production is an effective means of mitigating climate change. As one of the ingredients for concrete, cement is the world's most used building material and globally the largest CO2 emitter of all industrial sectors. The results of ELECTRA contribute directly to the ambitious goal of eliminating direct CO2 emissions from the lime, paper and cement industries. The developed fully electrified solutions for calcination and clinkering will offer the cheapest option for decarbonation for these industries.

ACCSESS – providing access to cost-efficient, replicable, safe and flexible CCUS. Main objectives: 1)Demonstrate, at TRL7, and integrate cost-efficient CO2 capture and use in industrial installations, to enable permanent Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) 2)Provide access routes for CO2 captured from European industries to the flexible transport and storage infrastructures under development in the North Sea 3)Leverage on CDR to drive societal integration of CCUS towards urban and European sustainability ACCSESS takes a cross-sectorial approach, addressing Pulp and Paper, Cement, Waste to Energy, and Biorefining, that all have the potential to contribute to CDR. ACCSESS will test at TRL7 the combination of an environmentally benign, enzymatic solvent (regenerated at 80oC) and a Rotary Packed Bed (RPB) absorber. Tests at 2 tpd CO2 captured will be done at a pulp and paper mill in Sweden and a cement kiln in Poland. Recarbonation of demolition concrete fines will be demonstrated at TRL7 (CCU). CCUS chains from inland Europe and the Baltics to the North Sea will be developed and optimized, with an open-source tool. Low pressure ship-based CO2 transport (7 bar) for 50% cost cuts is developed, and also safe CO2 loading and offloading. The ACCSESS concept is centred around the project vision to Develop replicable CCUS pathways towards a Climate Neutral Europe in 2050. ACCSESS will improve CO2 capture integration in industrial installations (20-30% cost cuts) as a key element to accelerate CCUS implementation, address the full CCUS chain and the societal integration of CCUS. ACCSESS has the ambition unleash the ability of CCUS to contribute to the ambitious EU Green Deal transformation strategy. The project is dedicated to developing viable industrial CCUS business models. ACCSESS will engage with citizens and citizens, explaining how CCUS can contribute to the production of climate neutral or climate positive end-products in a sustainable cities' context.

Biodiversity is the true driving force of a sustainable, circular bioeconomy (CBE). While the CBE needs advanced technology and innovation to succeed, biodiversity determines the capacity of biological systems to adapt and evolve. For this reason, biodiversity considerations need to be reflected in economic practices and valuation. CircHive will measure and integrate the value of nature into public and business decision making by: 1) improving data availability, accessibility, and harmonisation; 2) developing a standardised method for biodiversity footprinting (BF) and integrating it with natural capital accounting (NCA); 3) mainstreaming the use of BF and NCA in public and private decision making, incl. improving disclosure, risk management, and investment practice; 4) testing and improving the developed methods and models; and 5) building a wider community ‘BEEHive’ for peer support and exploitation of results. A strong emphasis is put developing scientifically robust and standardised methods that bridge BF (life cycle analyses) and NCA (bookkeeping), given their multiple overlaps but also divergences that hinder operationalisation and uptake. An equally strong emphasis is placed on practice-testing to understand current practices and opportunities for further mainstreaming of biodiversity and natural capital into disclosure, ecolabelling, and investment decisions. Transitioning theory to practice is put to the test via a case study network who will apply different biodiversity-centric approaches in real life. This is carried out in sectoral case study hubs (industry, retailers, investors, cities) for peer learning and capacity building. In CircHive’s approach, CBE and biodiversity reinforce each other as a basis for resources and inspiration for sustainable business practices. The integration of the value of nature into public and business decisions, will benefit both the protection of ecosystems and their services and the profitability of sustainable businesses.