The project aims to address the challenges of adopting hydrogen (H2) in hard-to-abate industries (HTAIs) through a hybrid approach using digital tools and state-of-the-art experimental techniques. The consortium will develop an integrated O2-CH4-H2 burner and support system for a heating furnace in an HTAI, specifically the aluminium scrap recycling industry. The project will investigate the impact of H2 combustion on the furnace structure and product quality while minimizing emissions.
Oxy-fuel of H2 will be applied as combustion technology, combined with low-NOx combustion techniques, such as the flameless/MILD combustion mode. This approach will allow us to benefit from the main advantages of oxy-fuel combustion while minimizing its emissions, particularly NOx. The impact of H2 combustion on currently used commercially refractory materials, overall furnace structure and product quality (aluminium) will also be investigated, and measures to minimize its impacts will be implemented.
To ensure widespread replication and exploitation of the technology, the consortium will perform techno-economic modeling, develop guidelines for technology integration, analyze geographic information, and develop new business models. The consortium comprises ten partners from four countries: four research organizations, an industry association representing the aluminium sector in Europe, and five industrial partners, including an end-user. The project seeks to achieve TRL7 by running a full-scale demonstration for more than six months, with at least one trial of 100h at 100% H2 and a total thermal output of 2.25 MWth.