The new INCITE information platform, launched by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), creates a single public space for both submitting and consulting data and information on innovative clean, zero-carbon and circular technologies that will be implemented by large industrial plants and livestock rearing installations during the industrial transition.
The shared transparent knowledge will support the deployment of innovative technologies and help European industry decarbonise, become more circular and reach the EU zero pollution target.
Gathering information to analyse clean technologies
In a significant step towards reducing the environmental impact of industrial activities, the JRC launched INCITE (European Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions) in June 2024. INCITE, a key component of the revised Industrial Emissions Directive, aims to facilitate the uptake of innovative technologies that can lower emissions and foster a more sustainable and competitive industrial sector in Europe.
What sets INCITE apart from other initiatives is that it provides a single and transparent information platform that allows industry, technology providers, research and technology organisations, national authorities policymakers, and financial actors to both share and access valuable data and information on ongoing or planned innovative processes and technologies.
The platform aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the environmental benefits and performance, technology maturity, possible trade-offs, location and costs benefit elements of these technologies, therefore helping stakeholders to make informed decisions and lower informational barriers for direct investments towards industrial innovation.
Users will be able to submit information through a simple online questionnaire. The published information can be consulted using interactive lists, tables or maps. Filters per sector, type of technology, country, environmental purpose, type of funding and technology readiness levels will be available, as well as factsheets with summarised key information per technique.
The platform is designed to collect data on all industrial sectors covered under the IED, with an initial focus on energy-intensive industries, e.g. iron, steel, cement, or chemicals production. The INCITE team will analyse the information received and publish the (non-confidential) data that meet the platform criteria.
Shaping the future European clean industry
By collecting and sharing information on cutting-edge technologies, INCITE will play a key role in transforming Europe’s industrial landscape, ensuring it remains competitive and at the forefront of sustainable development and environmental protection.
Through its platform, INCITE will:
- Foster dialogue and cooperation between industry, technology providers and public and private stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of innovative technologies.
- Support national competent authorities with the permitting of frontrunner plants implementing the innovative technologies.
- Facilitate the development of future environmental norms through the Sevilla process (the mechanism that has supported public authorities in granting industrial operating permits in the EU for the last 25 years).
- Provide key information to sustainable finance actors and private financial institutions to identify the most promising technologies to invest in, as well as to identify potential gaps in financing.
- Disseminate the results obtained in privately and EU funded projects (such as those financed under the umbrella of the Innovation Fund, Horizon Europe or LIFE) and ensures that successful projects are clearly identified and pushed forward for further deployment across Europe.
Innovative technologies for illustrative purposes
On the day of its launch, around 20 illustrative technologies are included in the platform to demonstrate its functionalities and the type of innovative techniques that are relevant for INCITE.
A description of the projects associated with the technologies is included with general (publicly available) information on the nature of the project, type of funding, location of the development and the expected outcome.
The list of illustrative technologies covers several energy-intensive industrial sectors and environmental purposes (e.g. decarbonisation, depollution, and circular economy). It contains examples of projects relevant to INCITE from various European funding schemes including e.g. Innovation Fund, Horizon Europe, LIFE, A.SPIRE (Processes4Planet).
Carbon capture and storage in the cement and lime sectors
Among the illustrative projects included in the platform, users can find examples of decarbonisation technologies, such as oxy-fuel combustion combined with carbon capture and storage. These technologies could be crucial to limit the emissions from the cement and lime production sector.
Currently, several large development projects with oxy-fuel combustion combined with carbon capture are planned, for example in Germany and Poland.
Reduce CO2 with hybrid furnaces in the glass industry
In the glass industry, hybrid furnaces are being tested to complement existing carbon reduction initiatives. Hybrid furnaces seek to replace a large share of the currently used natural gas by electricity.
This new technology could allow a significant reduction in CO2 emissions by significantly reducing the use of natural gas. Key projects which are in development in e.g. Slovenia and the Netherlands, have been included in the platform.
Depolluting wastewater
In terms of depollution, the INCITE platform will cover projects looking at developing new water technologies for the treatment of PFAS in wastewater as well innovative techniques for the chemical substitution of hazardous substances or substances of very high concern in industry.
For instance, one illustrative project included in the platform introduces an innovative technology that will develop new wastewater treatment technologies for reducing PFAS emissions in the surface finishing industry.
Source: European Commission (EU Science Hub) | JRC news and updates (https://shorturl.at/0vSFV)