As part of the preparation of the first call for proposals under the Innovation Fund (IF), the European Commission has invited sector associations and Member States to organize workshops in all European countries. Last 19th November, the Spanish workshop took place in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism where the Commission presented the Innovation Fund and the essential elements to be developed for the first call.
The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. The Innovation Fund focuses on 4 pillars of work: EEI, renewable energy, energy storage and carbon capture.
General scheme for Innovation Fund Programme
17 industrial and energy partners such as Repsol, Enagas, ArcelorMittal, Fertiberia and Saint Gobain exposed different low carbon solutions related with future eligible projects in IF. CIDAUT, together with the Spanish Bioethanol Association (Bio-E), proposed the most important lines of work for this renewable fuel. Solutions are focused on increasing the production of bioethanol per hectare of crop, eg: increasing the added value of co-products obtained in alcoholic fermentation processes; or focused on increasing the use and presence of bioethanol in different sectors: transport (extensive use of E10 and E85 gasoline vehicles), cogeneration or use in dedicated engines for nZEB (nearly Zero Emission Buildings).
More in detail, CIDAUT and Bio-E exposed a project approach focused on using CO2 emitted by bioethanol manufacturing industries together with renewable hydrogen to increase the synthesis production of chemicals such as methanol.
CIDAUT exposition and proposal overview