The CIRMET Project aims to design, develop and validate an innovative solution, to provide energy and resource flexibility to Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs)
DIGIMET participates in the CIRMET initiative, led by the Research and Technological Development Centre TECNALIA and funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, whose objective is to design, develop and validate an innovative and efficient solution to provide energy and resource flexibility in highly energy intensive processes.
For this purpose, the CIRMET project is divided into 4 lines of action: 1. EFFIMELT line, focused on resource efficiency and based on DIGIMET technology, a new concept of flexible and modular process unit for industrial waste treatment; 2. RECUWASTE line aimed at heat recovery unit, for flue gas heat recovery and transformation into compressed air to re-use in the same plant, having also the possibility of storing the excess energy; 3. Line AFF40 (Analytic For Factory 4.0), to improve process plant competitiveness, to increase energy and resource efficiency by controlling and optimizing process units; and 4. GHG emission reduction thanks to the use of biochar as substitution of fossil origin cokes, which will be also tested in EFFIMELT line.
DIGIMET role in CIRMET is to contribute to the development and innovations implemented in the EFFIMELT line. We develop the activity based on a new concept and innovative metallurgical furnace that is patented, which allows the treatment of industrial wastes containing metals, in a plasma heated molten metal bath recovering all valuable elements, in any of the three resource recovery flows: base metal, inert vitreous fraction and high purity flue dust concentrate.
Plasma torch heating system allows versatility and accuracy, adjusting process temperature on demand, from 300ºC up to 2.000ºC.
The CIRMET consortium consists of 15 partners, including research centres, universities and companies from 6 European countries (Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Poland), such as: ARC, CEA Liten, Enerbasque, Matiena Estaños, Euragglo, Ghent University, Cementirossi, IZNAB, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa, Grupo MSi, Sidenor, Wireless Value and TECNALIA.