Program Details
The energy demand (thermal, mechanical,…) by the Flemish industry is enormous. The generation of all this energy is usually fossil-based and is a major driver of CO2 emissions and climate change (see also research Path 3). The Moonshot research Path on energy innovation (Path 4) specifically supports research into generation and transportation of sustainable, reliable and affordable energy solutions. In pursuing this research path, the operational team of Catalisti closely cooperates with Flux50, the Flemish spearhead cluster working on the energy transition.
To successfully implement the breakthrough technologies from the other, more chemistry-driven, Moonshot research paths (Path 1, 2 and 3), sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions, such as heat, sustainable molecules, and renewable electricity (e.g. wind or solar power), are needed. This requires breakthroughs in the field of energy generation. Additionally, it calls for optimization between industrial processes and the energy system, including local and broader grids and markets. The focus should be on the costs and flexibility benefits of new value chains. Other priorities include sustainability, infrastructural needs, and new opportunities for cross-border industrial sites. Finally, the development of new energy storage and transportation technologies can help limit the amount of energy that is lost in times of overproduction and give access to a maximum amount of affordable renewable energy. One of the focus points is to investigate how to make the application of direct current (DC) electricity more economically viable.
The transition to carbon-smart energy solutions requires additional investments. Renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, have an intermittent nature, depending on the varying availability of wind and sunlight. As a result, future energy production will be less predictable. Periods without sufficient wind or sunshine may lead to a "Dunkelflaute"—a time when energy demand exceeds renewable energy production. On the other hand, periods with a surplus of renewable energy lead to negative prices and will offer financial benefits for off-takers.
To address this challenge and opportunity, investments in innovative and sustainable energy storage solutions, such as advanced battery systems, thermal buffers,… are crucial. Additionally, artificial intelligence algorithms can help optimize the balance between energy demand and generation in combination with flexible chemical processes that can modulate in response to changing energy conditions.
Currently, many chemical processes experience significant lag or dead time—often lasting hours or days—making them challenging to align with the fast-paced energy market, which operates on timescales of 15-60 minutes. Developing new processes that can match this speed is vital for future grid stability. Innovations could focus on auxiliary systems (utilizing or upgrading waste heat) to provide reaction heat without altering the main process chain or involve fundamental changes to the processes themselves. In either case, considerations such as capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) must be taken into account.
Below is a list of specific research areas and points of attention. This list is not exhaustive. It is acknowledged that these research topics can contribute in a more indirect way to reduce the CO2 emissions, but are essential in contributing to direct impact of breakthrough technologies (e.g. electrification) through affordability and resilience.
Specific research areas of interest and attention points
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Waste heat (low-temperature heat of <200°C): how to upgrade this so that it is usable within chemical processes (e.g. heat pumps)?
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Develop processes at the intersection of Paths 1-3 to lower the lag time in slow processes so that they can be modulated more easily and can be aligned with the available energy, in combination with algorithms for flexibility.
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Substantial improvements in large-scale energy storage technologies such as e.g. battery technology or molecules to deal with the intermittency of renewable energy, taking into account the challenges of availability of critical materials (e.g. alternative abundant materials or recycling)
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Breakthrough technologies for large-scale renewable technologies as e.g. PV panels taking into account a differentiating factor in the international competition with e.g. China and US.
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Research on energy flexibility matching supply and demand technologies, power generation from chemical processes and contributing to grid stability.
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Research for making DC-electricity applications in industrial environment more economically viable.
Goals and KPIs
The overall ambition, by 2040, is to develop technologies[1] that enable to offer 80% of the total energy demand of the Flemish energy-intensive industry (chemical, petrochemical and steel sectors) as CO2 neutral/sustainable energy[2] in an economic cost-effective way, which corresponds to a CO2 emission reduction in the order of 10 million ton CO2/year for the reference year 2018, with disruptive contributions in the following areas:
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Develop at least 2 innovative technologies to TRL 6 for transport and storage of energy2 by 2030, with at least 1 innovative technology to TRL 6 every 5 years thereafter.
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By 2030, the development of a novel generation of flexibility algorithms, 3 innovative processes “designed for flexibility” and a portfolio of cross-sectoral models to ensure that +20% of the industrial energy2 demand is provided by flexibility.
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By 2030, develop at least 3 innovative technologies to TRL 6 to provide CO2 neutral/sustainable energy2 to meet the increasing energy demand (estimated at 70 TWh) of the industry, followed by at least 1 innovative technology every 5 years (TRL 6).
These goals have to be met within the following precondition: the economic profitability will be determined for technologies for implementation on an industrial scale within a global context, taking into account international energy prices for the chemical industry.