Green and resilient flexible production processes (Processes4Planet partnership) (IA)

1. A step change in process flexibility, enabling production plants to promptly and frequently adapt to wide and rapid variations in energy input. 2. New flexible and efficient production processes that deliver economic and sustainability gains despite volatile renewable energy supply. 3. Significant increases in raw material and energy efficiency under variable renewable energy inputs compared to state-of-the-art processes. 4. Contribution to the EU climate neutrality objective and to the Commission’s recommendation to reduce EU GHG emissions by 90 % by 2040.

Proposals must: 1. Address the redesign and modification of existing processes and equipment, including smart integration of multiple renewable energy sources (and storage) to improve operational flexibility and continuous efficiency. 2. Demonstrate modifications that increase flexibility response rates (e.g. faster ramp up/down), while maintaining high energy and resource efficiency. 3. Evaluate material and energy efficiency gains from a holistic plant-and-energy-system perspective and quantify economic benefits by exploiting energy market price variations. 4. Showcase improved performance, scalability and cost-efficiency through at least one pilot-scale use case under realistic, variable renewable energy input. 5. Define required skills, training and organisational changes to enable industrial implementation (including development of scalable training materials). 6. (Recommended) Include a GHG avoidance methodology with baseline definitions and projected emission reductions. 7. Include a detailed business case and exploitation strategy, and deliver an elaborated exploitation plan (feasibility study, business plan, financial model) identifying potential private and public funding sources. 8. Outline societal and environmental impacts and implications for workplace skills and organisation.