Process manufacturing (process industry) is the chemical/petrochemical industry that processes bulk resources into other products. It produces half of Europe’s industrial output but is also responsible for high electricity consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste production. Therefore, the EU-funded CIRMET project proposes to increase energy, resource efficiency and competitiveness in this industry while ensuring environmental sustainability. This will be possible through the development of CIRMET solution and testing of three demonstrators of novelty CIRMET technologies: EFFIMELT for metallic waste valorisation, RECUWASTE waste heat recovery/storage in the steel, and the AFF40 digital platform optimising processes. The CIRMET solution will allow energy and resource flexibility in highly energy-intensive processes.

ENERBASQUE participates in the project by building the RECUWASTE demonstrator, specifically the part associated with heat recovery using ORC technology. In this project, heat is transformed into mechanical energy in the shaft of the ENERBASQUE screw expander, which is coupled through a variable speed transmission (CVT) to a compressor. In this way, compressed air is obtained directly from residual heat.