The ReTAPP project aims at producing wood-based fructose for production of plastic bottles and all plastic packaging. The ReTAPP project will generate fructose from wood to commercial process as a replacement for food/starch based fructose. The fructose is further converted to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) – a chemical that can be used to produce a biobased polymer, Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF). Ultimately, ReTAPP will make it possible to make the plastics from wood – a solution not just sustainable and 100% renewable, but also technically and economically superior to the technologies and materials used today. In ReTAPP, the consortium will improve the processes through enzymatic solutions to positively impact quality, performance and economics: In the end, the wood-based fructose must be better than food-based fructose for further in chemical conversion in industrial scale. Even more importantly, the overall process, including but not limited to the fructose conversion, is also made economically more sustainable than the petroleum or the food-based solutions. Ultimately, the 100% renewable packaging is more affordable and has better qualities, such as barrier properties, than the most common thermoplastic resin: polyethylene terephthalate (PET). ReTAPP enables the collaboration between consortium members to address the entire value-chain and achieve objectives none of the companies could achieve alone. European competitive advantage can be found in strength of collaboration between masters of their field, such as MetGen, SEKAB and Avantium.

The WaterProof project proposes a resource efficient solution convert CO2 emissions from waste(water) processing into green consumer products. At the heart of the WaterProof concept is an electrochemical process that converts CO2, originating from waste incineration and wastewater processing, to produce formic acid. This reaction is paired with the generation of high-energy oxidants, which are used to remove persistent contaminants from wastewater thereby contributing to a clean water cycle with zero-waste. The energy to run the electrochemical process is provided by waste incineration facility. The formic acid is a feedstock for the production of Acidic Deep Eutectic Solvents (ADES). These ADES are used to extract precious metals from water treatment sludge and incinerator ash. Additionally, the formic acid is used for fish leather tanning to sustainably produce fish leather and will be tested in consumer cleaning products. The WaterProof technology results in a GHG reduction based on CO2 utilization, replacement of fossil feedstock and by industrial electrification. In the WaterProof project, a TRL 6 plant is constructed, including innovative downstream processing. The conversion of CO2 from wastewater treatment and the CO2 captured at a waste incinerator is demonstrated in two consecutive campaigns. To maximize impact of the WaterProof technology, life-cycle assessments and a full business case analysis are initiated in the early stage of the project to provide targets for technology development. A marketing and deployment strategy is developed to ensure social acceptance of the WaterProof technology. Besides the reduction of GHG emissions, WaterProof will have societal impact by, creating awareness trough interaction with policy makers and civil society and the creation of new jobs in innovative fields. By targeting an industry as essential as waste(water) treatment, WaterProof aims to create a concept that can impact society and climate on a big scale.

TERRA project aims to develop, from TRL 3 to 5, a tandem electrocatalytic reactor (TER) coupling an oxidation reaction to a reduction reaction, with thus the great potential advantage of i) saving resources and energy (needed to produce the oxidant and reductants for the two separate reactions), and ii) intensify the process (reduce the nr. of steps, coupling two synthesis processes and especially eliminating those to prepare the oxidation and reduction agents). The proposal address one of SPIRE Roadmap Key Actions “New ways of targeting energy input via electrochemical”. The TER unit may be used in a large field of applications, but will be developed for a specific relevant case: the synthesis of PEF (PolyEthylene Furanoate), a next generation plastic. TERRA project aims to make a step forward in this process by coupling the FDCA and MEG synthesis in a single novel TER reactor, with relevant process intensification. Between the elements of innovation of the approach are: i) operation at higher T,P than "conventional" electrochemical devices for chemical manufacturing, ii) use of noble-metal-free electrocatalysts, iii) use of novel 3D-type electrodes to increase productivity, iv) use of electrode with modulation of activity, v) possibility to utilize external bias (from unused electrical renewable energy) to enhance flexibility of operations. In addition to scale-up reactor and test under environmental relevant conditions (TRL 5), the approach in TERRA project is to address the critical elements to pass from lab-scale experimentation to industrial prototype with intensified productivity. These developments are critical for a wider use of electrochemical manufacturing in chemical and process industries.

ELCOREL is a consortium combining 5 academic and 2 industrial beneficiaries aimed at training young researchers in the field of the conversion of water and carbon dioxide to fuels and chemicals with the aid of electrocatalysts, of prime importance to the efficient large-scale storage of the excess renewable electricity. The consortium will (i) develop rational catalyst design principles for the electrochemical oxidation of water and the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide based on the principles of quantum chemistry and large-scale quantum-chemical calculations, (ii) prepare, synthesize, characterize and test model single-crystalline and nanoparticulate catalysts, and (iii) implement high surface area catalysts in large-scale electrolysers at industrial laboratories. The fellows to be employed in ELCOREL will be part of a unique network of academic and industrial world leaders in their respective expertises, and will receive a dedicated multidisciplinary and intersectoral training through mandatory extensive training and research periods at the non-academic partners. Furthermore, they will go through an extensive training programme balancing scientific, personal and entrepreneurial skills. ELCOREL will generate a new generation of electrochemical researchers ready to deal with the academic and industrial challenges of securing Europe’s future energy independence.