Chapter 4 - Leading the green industrial revolution
Research, innovation and the deployment of market-ready solutions, supported through the EU, can help industry reduce its own carbon footprint – including hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry and power generation. Not only that, novel techniques and technologies will allow these industries to sustainably deliver the materials and services we need to achieve climate neutrality. Driving this change is the EU’s European Industrial Strategy. This plan aims to encourage the development of affordable, clean technology solutions and enable sustainable new business models. The strategy looks to support Europe’s transition to a green and digital economy, make EU industry more competitive globally, and enhance Europe’s open strategic autonomy.
Focusing on reusability and waste
To achieve this, the Circular Economy Action Plan targets product design and encourages sustainable consumption. It also looks to keep resources in the EU economy for as long as possible, and to prevent waste. In Sweden, the HYBRIT project aims to revolutionise the European iron and steel industry, by replacing fossil-based technologies with climate-neutral alternatives. The project plans to replace the coal-based blast furnace technology with direct reduction based on fossil-free hydrogen. Refrigerants LIFE Cycle has developed an innovative installation capable of separating the refrigerant waste produced by air conditioning units, converting this waste into new coolants that can be reused. And in Poland, the NorthSTOR+ project is building an energy stationary storage system that is larger than any battery currently on the market. The project has embraced the principles of circular design, sourcing over 90 % of the solution’s components and equipment from Europe. Projects such as these are helping to usher in an exciting new era for European industry – one that will see Europe at the vanguard of the green industrial revolution.