Breakthrough technologies helping industry to become more sustainable

Thema:
Radical new industrial processes
11 October 2024

The industrial sector’s heat demand can be reduced by several dozens of percentage points by making processes more efficient and using more renewable electricity. This would translate into up to 5 megatonnes less CO2 emitted each year. Roughly half of the energy consumed by the industrial sector goes into high-temperature drying and dewatering.

The driving forces

Our research shows that there are considerable energy savings and efficiency gains to be made in this area. Additionally, innovative technologies would give an important boost to the Dutch economy. The driving forces behind these technological developments are Yvonne van Delft, energy expert at TNO and coordinator of the SOLIDARITY project, and Tamara Oukes, researcher at TNO.

Technologies that align with business needs

As part of the SOLIDARITY project, in which TNO plays a central role as a research and coordination partner, we have developed three promising technologies together with our partners and showcased their potential in a number of pilot projects.

Researcher Tamara Oukes: “Interest from the industrial sector is increasing. We worked on this project with a number of innovative companies. The new technologies fit well with the industrial sector’s drive to become more sustainable in the coming years.

In the roadmap we’ve drawn up, we not only identify the technologies that are capable of delivering breakthroughs, but also pay close attention to their socio-economic aspects. At the end of the day, it’s about companies putting them to practical use.”

The three breakthrough technologies

These are the three technologies developed as part of the SOLIDARITY project to make industrial drying and dewatering processes more sustainable:

  • Pervaporation for glycol dehydration in the oil and gas industry
  • Electrodialysis for brine reuse in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries
  • Drying and dewatering during paper production
yvon_van_delft

“Drying and dewatering require a huge amount of energy. This is why the business community has asked us to develop innovations in this area."

Yvonne van Delft

Senior project manager, TNO

Lofty goals

TNO energy expert Yvonne van Delft has been key to the success of both the technical and strategic aspects of the SOLIDARITY project by ensuring the implementation and dissemination of sustainable technologies in the industrial sector.

She explains: “Drying and dewatering require a huge amount of energy. This is why the business community has asked us to develop innovations in this area. There is a demand for an approach that makes sense both technologically and commercially. The paper industry in particular has set an incredibly ambitious goal in terms of cleaner, more sustainable production.

We also receive many questions from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The roadmap lists the goals we need to achieve by 2050, outlines the actions we need to take over the next 15 years, and sets out what we want to have achieved by 2030.”

tamara oukes

"Together, we need to ensure that the business community’s willingness to work with the three technologies increases.”

Tamara Oukes

Researcher collaborative business models, TNO

Responsibility for all stakeholders

The roadmap highlights the need to strike the right balance between the environmental benefits of these technologies for society and their impact on the economy and new business. Industry uptake will depend heavily on continued technological developments, socio-economic factors, and the development of a strong business case.

Tamara: “This involves a shared responsibility for all stakeholders – including the government, which can help with policies to promote sustainability. However, the initiative will mainly have to come from the partners in this project.

The consortium we’ve formed includes representatives from all the players in the chain: industrial manufacturers, suppliers, end users, technology providers, and knowledge institutes. Together, we need to ensure that the business community’s willingness to work with the three technologies increases.”

Cooperation is crucial

According to Yvonne, this process is already well under way. Based at TNO, Yvonne is also the coordinator of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), as part of which research institutions advise the European Commission on the energy transition. Energy-efficient processes, including drying and dewatering, are high on the EERA agenda.

Partners such as the Royal Netherlands Paper and Board Association (VNP) and paper manufacturer Huhtamaki communicate the results of the SOLIDARITY project at the European level. At the same time, there is close cooperation between the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi) and the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).

“This is a major boost for this technological development. By involving the industrial sector at an early stage, we can make headway quickly. For example, industrial heat pumps could reuse waste heat from the production process, significantly increasing energy efficiency. Sharing knowledge between parties accelerates the adoption of these technologies, while a cooperative approach ensures that the entire value chain benefits. Cooperation is key,” Yvonne believes.