Abstract

The European Green Pact sets the objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. To this end, the European Union has proposed that at least 40% of energy should come from renewable sources by 2030, in accordance with the Climate Target Plan. On 18 May, the European Commission published the European solar energy strategy. This is an ambitious initiative aimed at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels in all economic sectors, from the residential sector to industrial processes.

Solar thermal energy is of renewed interest in industry, where heat accounts for 70% of industrial demand. Beyond administrative and financial constraints, industry is facing new opportunities that require more efficient technologies, using fewer resources (space, materials, water, etc.), with greater circularity in the use of raw materials and more sustainable in their life cycle (including their manufacture). New opportunities also arise in the use of solar thermal technologies, such as hybridisation with solar electricity and heat pumps and in the production of heat and renewable hydrogen, both aimed at their use in industrial processes.

The conference will discuss R&D support to respond to this challenge and bring together several speakers working in this field from both the business and research centre perspectives. The session will provide an overview of the R&D associated with solar heat in industrial processes and will end with a round table open to the participation of the attendees.

Speakers

Sandra Cubero, SolarConcentra, ProtermoSolar

José Ignacio Ajona, SEENSO Renoval y ASIT

José González, IMDEA Energía e ISES

Antonio Rovira, UNED, ASTEP

Marcelino Sánchez, CENER y EERA