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METAWAVE aims to revolutionize high-temperature heating industrial processes, using microwave-based heating systems.
The project focuses on improving efficiency, reducing energy consumption, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing productivity. By showcasing these systems in real industrial settings of three industrial sectors (ceramics, asphalt, aluminium), METAWAVE intends to demonstrate their superior performance.
The benefits include higher efficiency, shorter process times, and better control, which could contribute to a more sustainable industry. Additionally, METAWAVE aims to optimize processes by using innovative nanostructured additives, waste-based refractories, and advanced systems for monitoring and controlling the processes. METAWAVE also proposes the integration of renewable energy sources to power the microwave-based heating systems through a Virtual Power Plant, accompanied by an energy management system based on data-driven modelling optimisation and alongside the investigation of industrial symbiosis developing a detailed Hub 4 Circularity (H4C) roadmap.
METAWAVE aims to achieve 420 GWh energy reduction, over 95ktCO2 averted and more than 19% productivity increase yielding total revenues of more than 230M€ and the creation of more than 900 new jobs by 2032.METAWAVE seeks to bring together various stakeholders, promote open science, and encourage sustainable economic activities, particularly focusing on sustainable fuels and feedstocks.
The Consortium is composed by 19 partners of 9 different countries, including seven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), six research and technology development organizations (RTDs), two universities, three large enterprises and one non-profit organisation.
METAWAVE Project aims to reach the following objectives:
> to develop new design methods and consolidate a process for the introduction of microwave technologies as a replacement for fossil-based heating systems
> to optimize the industrial heating processes and reduce the energy demand by integrating novel digital technologies
> to fully capture the potential of RES integration and energy flexibility by powering the microwave-based heating system from a digital virtual power plant
> to deploy and validate an integrated and modular microwave-based heating system combining highly energy-efficient breakthroughs targeting increased productivity
> to ensure the techno-economic feasibility of the METAWAVE system and pave the way towards its wide acceptance, technological adoption and upscale
> to convincingly demonstrate the METAWAVE system in distinct industrial environments towards the acceleration of the approach to market readiness; the project intends to deliver 3 demonstrators at TRL6 in the ceramics, asphalt and aluminium industries.
Through the implementation of project activities and the development of innovative methodologies and technologies, METAWAVE Consortium aims at reaching the following overall impact: a global leadership in clean, climate-neutral and resilient industrial value chains, circular economy and climate-neutral and human-centric digital systems and infrastructures, through innovative production and manufacturing processes and their digitization, new business models, sustainable-by-design advanced materials and technologies enabling the switch to decarbonization in all major emitting industrial sectors, including green digital technologies.
Specifically, the project impact can be broke up into 3 impacts at scientific, societal and economical level.
Scientific: By 2032, through open access results and the systemic approach to engagement of stakeholders across the value chain, important scientific knowledge will be generated, particularly regarding the affordable and sustainable improvement of process industries. The project will generate at least 20 publications, a wealth of research data, and extensive capacity building in a pool of over 10000 individuals.
These results will propagate into impactful research conducted and knowledge generated, projecting uptake by over 100 research organisations using the open tools and data. The new directions in digital services and systems engineering, but also social sciences and humanities will contribute to >100 jobs created in R&D, mainly towards industrial engineering IoT, AI, ML, energy systems specialists, business/economist experts and social sciences. METAWAVE will ensure Open Access and be efficient, transparent, and responsive to societal challenges aligned with EC´s goals on Open Science.
Societal: By 2032, METAWAVE will have contributed to EU policy priorities & global challenges. This will be achieved through extensive work on non-energy costs, market design and integration, digitalisation, policy, governance, and through continued interactions with local, municipal, national, and international stakeholders. Many of the topics will be related to implementations of the REPowerEU package.
Moreover, METAWAVE will contribute to the SDGs by reducing process industry energy demand by over 33-47%, reducing CO2 emissions by over 40-64%, reducing energy intensity by over 37-52%. The penetration of renewables will be increased by >30%. Over 10 innovations will be deployed by SMEs.
Economical/Technological: By 2030, the cumulative improvements in energy efficiency, electrification and datadriven technologies will contribute to innovation-based growth by reducing energy costs for SMEs and industries, leading to significant savings but also confidence in the security of supply. Process industry productivity will increase by 10% at least. Based on the METAWAVE business plan, we project that over 40M€ (EBITDA) and over 350 jobs will be the effects of METAWAVE actions. Over 100M€ will be leveraged for electrification and decarbonisation. Progress towards zero accidents will be significant.
Industrial Use Case #1: GRES ARAGON is a member of the SAMCA Group, a Spanish group of companies that employs directly approximately 3,500 people in eight countries with an annual turnover of ~€1B. GRES is manufacturer of ceramic products, a sector that is responsible for 1% of EU industrial emissions (19BtCO2eq/y). This is a result of the high-intensity heating processes involved, and primarily firing.
Productivity rates will be improved in the 5-9% range through the microwave heating technology, 3-7% via the refractories, while improved process control and 2D additives are projected to deliver additional improvements in the 6-8% range each. Thermal losses will be reduced by 32% and a 5% energy reduction thanks to digitization is projected. The main advantage is the superior heating efficiency of the microwave heating system, projected at 70%.
As a result, we project a significant reduction in final energy use: from 5.76 to 3.8 GWh, signifying 33.2% energy savings. Moreover, on average 6% productivity rate improvements will be achieved, increasing the output by over 576t/y. Finally, process improvements will reduce the energy intensity by 37%. Emissions will be reduced by 40% for 427tCO2eq/y being averted. It should be mentioned that Spain is implementing ambitious decarbonisation plans as part of the Integrated NECP for 2021-30 that comprise the phasing out of coal-fired power plants and increasing the share of renewable energy from 40% to 71% in the energy mix. These developments will facilitate the overall electrification effort and in particular the adoption of METAWAVE.
Industrial Use Case #2: COPHA’s activities are in the asphalt refining, a sector that is responsible for industrial emissions of more than 3MtCO2eq/y in EU, coming mainly from drying and mixing, both energy intensive processes powered by fossil fuels.
Productivity rates will be improved in the 7-11% range through the microwave heating technology, 10-14% via the refractories, while improved process control and 2D additives are projected to deliver additional improvements in the 4-8% range each. Thermal losses will be reduced by 47% and a 5% energy reduction thanks to digitization is projected. The main advantage is the superior heating efficiency of the microwave heating system, projected at 90%.
As a result, we project a significant reduction in final energy use: from 7.3 to 3.8 GWh, signifying 47.2% energy savings. Moreover, on average 10% productivity rate improvements will be achieved, increasing the output by over 10,000t/y. Finally, process improvements will reduce the energy intensity by 52%. Emissions will be reduced by 64% compared to the current status, yielding a reduction in the CO2 footprint of 1,152tCO2/y. Like Demo 1, developments resulting from national and European policies will generate even more momentum for METAWAVE adoption.
Industrial Use Case #3: MYTIL’s main activities main activities is in aluminium production, in which heat-related emissions account for 10MtCO2eq/y. Specifically, the anode production process in EU is responsible for 7.23MtCO2eq/y.
Productivity rates will be improved in the 20-25% range through the microwave heating technology, 10-14% via the refractories, while improved process control and 2D additives are projected to deliver additional improvements in the 4-8% range each. Thermal losses will be reduced by 39% and a 5% energy reduction thanks to digitization is projected. The main advantage is the superior heating efficiency of the microwave heating system is projected at 65%.
As a result, we project a significant reduction in final energy use: from 104 to 70 GWh, signifying 32.8% energy savings. Moreover, on average 20% productivity rate improvement will be achieved, increasing the output by over 18,800t/y. Finally, process improvements will reduce the energy intensity by 44%. As of 2023, electrical energy produced in Greece has a significant CO2 footprint of 0.332kgCO2/kWh. As we are projecting towards 2030, with METAWAVE concluding in Q1 2028, we can assume that the implementation of national policies such as coal phase out by 2028 and NECP targets doubling renewable energy penetration from 29% today to 61% will reduce the CO2 footprint by half at least. With this projection, an estimated emissions reduction of 7.7ktCO2 per year will be achieved, or 40% of current emissions.
The impact and the abitious outcomes that the project intends to reach are here listed:
