The StreamSTEP Horizon Europe project officially Kicks off
Author: Maria Lentoudi
November 27th 2024
The official kick-off meeting of the StreamSTEP project took place on November 13–14, 2024, in Trondheim, Norway. The event was hosted by the Project Coordinator, SINTEF, and brought together representatives from the 30 partner organizations that comprise the StreamSTEP Consortium. The meeting provided a platform for partners to introduce their institutions and outline their specific roles in this pioneering research initiative.
During the two-day meeting, each partner had the opportunity to present their expertise and engage in productive discussions on the project’s objectives, work packages, and forthcoming activities. These presentations offered valuable insights into planned methodologies, implementation strategies, and expected outcomes. A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the critical importance of applying cutting-edge technologies to real-world industrial challenges—an approach that is central to achieving the project’s goals and maximizing its impact.
The StreamSTEP project
Over the course of its four-year duration, the StreamSTEP project aims to improve heating energy management in industrial processes. The project will deploy five innovative heat exchanger prototypes for waste heat across temperatures from 135°C to over 1400°C. High-temperature heat pumps will enhance heat recovery, achieving outlet temperatures of 150°C and 215°C, with improved performance through ejector technology. Advanced manufacturing techniques and novel material alloys will enable these innovations. The system will be demonstrated across five sectors, copper, ceramics, silicon, plastics and oil & gas, with significant impacts on waste heat recovery, productivity, and energy flexibility.
StreamSTEP will adopt advanced solutions, comprising both technologies and practices, for sustainable heating energy in Energy Intensive Industries. These solutions are expected to have a positive impact on process industries, meaning:
Consolidating a process data collection and management platform, providing the digital infrastructure needed for the planning and management of process lifecycle.
Consolidating a process hybrid Digital Twin (HDT) framework to enhance the design and management of heat recovery and reuse processes.
Reduce the environmental footprint of heat exchanger and heat pipe components in manufacturing.
Deliver 5 advanced Heat Exchanger prototypes – DC1 Copper, DC2 Ceramic, DC3 Silicon, DC4 Plastic, DC5 Oil and gas.
Comprise 5 demonstrators, complemented by an impact booster, amplifying the outcomes in terms of marketability, social value creation and accelerate StreamSTEP adoption.
CORE Innovation Centre’s Role
As a key partner in the StreamSTEP project, CORE IC will play a pivotal role across several areas:
Data architecture design and orchestration: Our team will lead the development of the project's digital platform as well as the integration of the project’s technical components into the platform — including data architecture, middleware for the digital infrastructure, smart IoT integration
Predictive maintenance function integration: Based on our well-established know-how through our the COREbeat platform, our team will develop Predictive Maintenance solutions for Heat Exchangers and Heat Pumps
Process digital twin and HMI integration: Our role will be to coordinate the integration of hybrid process digital twins for each of the processes selected.
Energy Management System (EMS): CORE IC will expand the Energy Management System (EMS) both for offline planning and real-time operation using advanced techniques such as machine learning and deep neural networks to optimise industrial processes and energy efficiency.
Dissemination, Communication, and Innovation Management: CORE IC will also lead the communication and dissemination activities, increasing project awareness and build StreamSTEP’s reputation across crucial target groups. Moreover, CORE IC will lead the Exploitation Strategy and IPR Management, focusing on analysing, refining, and commercialising Key Exploitable Results (KERs).
The StreamSTEP consortium
StreamSTEP is a collaborative effort involving 30 partners from 9 countries across the European Union, as well as Norway, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. The consortium includes a diverse group of participants—universities, research institutes, SMEs, and key industry stakeholders such as suppliers and end-users—working together on this ambitious and transformative initiative.
With a total budget of €14.99 million over a 48-month period, StreamSTEP aims to revolutionize the management of thermal energy in industrial processes, enhancing efficiency and sustainability across sectors.
The project brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts from across the innovation landscape, including: SINTEF, SINTEF Energy, CORE Innovation Centre, ΑΙΜΕΝ Technology Centre, BRUNEL University London, Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón, Imperial College London, Institute of Computer and Communication Systems, CIRCE Centro Tecnologico, Vytautas Magnus University, Technical University of Crete, Tampere University, University of Seville, Institute for Ceramic Technology, ALEA Design, MIWenergía, Econotherm, Expander Tech, Teknopar, Enviva, INCOTEC, Gruppo FOS, GEP, HALCOR, Torrecid, ELKEM, Elbi, Repsol, Future Materials, Proval SARL.
