Related projects - ASTERIx-CAESar

DESOLINATION

DESOLINATION is a collaborative project which aims to decarbonise the desalination process in arid regions by demonstrating in a real environment the efficient coupling of a concentrating solar power plant to a direct osmosis desalination system. While the use of heat for desalination has been studies for centuries, recent technologies development has emphasised its main issue: competitiveness. DESOLINATION will tackle this issue by developing an innovative process coupling Concentrated Solar Power (or CSP) and forward osmosis desalination technologies for a coupled production of renewable electricity and freshwater. The innovative solutions will be demonstrated in real conditions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, first on an existing system and second on a next-generation one.

NextMGT

The project focuses on micro gas turbines (MGTs). MGTs operate on the Brayton cycle, compressing a fluid, adding heat, and expanding it through a turbine for power. They offer benefits like high power density, efficiency, and fuel flexibility. However, MGTs face limited market penetration due to insufficient investment. The project aims to expedite research and development, addressing technological and commercialization challenges, including skills gaps. It emphasizes comprehensive training and collaborative frameworks for managing intellectual property and supply chains and influencing energy policies. To promote MGT commercialization and European competitiveness, the partners established the European Micro Gas Turbine Forum (EMGTF).

SHARP-sCO2

SHARP-sCO2 aims to provide the basis to develop a new generation of highly efficient and flexible CSP plants. Keeping on working on CSP-sCO2 power cycles and exploiting air as operating fluids, SHARP-sCO2 will attain high working temperatures, guaranteeing reliable and flexible operation, optimal working conditions, and high efficiency for the coupling of CSP with sCO2 power cycle thanks to the development of high performant sCO2-air heat exchanger. Leveraging on a smart and integrated hybridization with PV, enabled by the development of an innovative electric heater, SHARP-sCO2 will maximize production, exploiting PV affordability while counting on the unique energy storage capabilities of CSP plants via thermal media. The latter will also be optimized by developing innovative high-temperature thermal energy storage.

WATER-MINING

Water security is among the most crucial challenges for water management today. As a consequence, innovative water management solutions and alternative water resources are required. This EU-funded WATER-MINING project will exhibit and validate innovative next-generation water resource solutions at the pre-commercial demonstration-scale in accordance with relevant legislation. It will combine water management services with the improvement of renewable resources such as mining water. It is envisaged that the value-added end products will offer supplies of regional resources to increase economic growth. The project will examine different designs proposed for urban wastewater treatment and seawater desalination and innovative service-based business models aiming to improve the engagement of private and public stakeholders.

ABraytCSPfuture

ABraytCSPfuture sets forth an innovative, carbon-neutral way for implementing into future air-operated Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants the inherently much more efficient air-Brayton gas turbine power generation cycles in order to achieve higher solar-to-electricity efficiencies, vital for competitiveness of CSP and non-reachable by either PVs or molten salts and thermal oils, significantly increasing in parallel the plants’ storage capability.

Both these functionalities will be made possible by developing and demonstrating the integrated operation of a first-of-its-kind, compact, dual-bed thermochemical reactor/ heat exchanger design, comprised of non-moving, flow-through porous ceramic structures (honeycombs or foams) based on earth-abundant, inexpensive, non-toxic oxide materials.

PYSOLO

PYSOLO (PYrolysis of biomass by concentrated SOLar pOwer) offers a solution for both the decarbonisation of the industry and the shift away from fossil raw materials to renewable feedstock (i.e. defossilisation) by preparing the ground for a fully renewable process combining concentrated solar power and biomass pyrolysis. Thanks to the use of solar heat in the pyrolysis process, the production of valuable products, i.e. bio-oil, biochar and pyrogas, can be maximised and the associated CO₂ emission minimised. This offers both economic and environmental benefits compared to conventional pyrolysis.