INITIATE

The INITIATE project, funded by the Horizon 2020 EU program, will advance the implementation of circular economy, industrial symbiosis and carbon capture and utilisation technologies (CCU) by re-using residual steel gases as a resource for the cross-sectorial, more efficient and less wasteful manufacture of urea, at a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

Based on the prior experience of the STEPWISE and FRESME projects, INITIATE will achieve a positive business case while proving reductions in:

-30%

Primary energy intensity

-95%

Carbon footprint

-45%

Primary raw material intensity

-90%

Waste generation

In an operational environment, INITIATE will show how residual carbon-rich gas from the steel sector becomes a valuable feedstock for the chemical sector. At the same time, the cost of carbon capture is sustained, leading to a cost-efficient decarbonisation strategy.

The TRL7 demonstration will combine the continuous production of N₂+H₂ and CO₂ streams, with the innovative ammonia production as a precursor for urea.

The project will also conduct a macro-economic analysis and Life Cycle Analysis to confirm the economic viability and the sustainability of the INITIATE process.

Driven by the industrial partners, INITIATE will develop a commercial deployment roadmap for technology roll-out.

INITIATE objectives

These objectives will be achieved through eight work packages

Demonstrate operating reliability and technology-based innovations of the INITIATE process in real industrial settings (TRL 7) at an equivalent scale of 5 t(Urea)/d.

Assess and verify energy, economic and environmental advantages of implementing the INITIATE system by a defined set of key-performance-indicators (KPI’s).

Achieve a bankable design for the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) commercial plant that converts BOFG to AdBlue® grade urea at the scale of 150 t(Urea)/d, enabling short term deployment.

Generate a long-term implementation plan for successful long term deployment of the INITIATE process over the next 30 years (to 2050), from both a local and European perspective, considering potential synergies with local infrastructure and other symbiotic systems.

Ensure the effective exploitation and dissemination of the project results to all relevant stakeholders to facilitate successful future deployment.