The
EU has set an ambitious goal for Europe to become the first climate-neutral
continent by 2050. The transition towards a green and sustainable society is
underway.
Energy-intensive
industries such as the ceramics and glass sector account for a significant
share of Europe’s industrial energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
Decarbonising these sectors is therefore essential to achieving the European
Union’s climate and industrial competitiveness objectives. While
electrification will play a key role, additional solutions are needed to
address high-temperature industrial processes where direct electrification
remains challenging.
INDTEGRATE,
a Horizon Europe Innovation Action that addresses this challenge, was
officially launched. The project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium
of industrial companies, technology developers, research organisations,
universities, and innovation experts from across Europe to accelerate the
integration of Solid Oxide Electrolyser Cell (SOEC) technology into
energy-intensive industries. By combining renewable electricity, industrial
waste heat recovery, advanced digital technologies, and green hydrogen
production, INDTEGRATE aims to demonstrate a practical and scalable pathway
towards industrial decarbonisation. The project will develop a suite of
advanced digital tools, including reduced-order models, Process and
Electrolyser Digital Twins, to support the design, optimisation and operation
of hydrogen production systems in the glass and ceramics sectors.
Building
on these digital capabilities, INDTEGRATE will engineer and validate a modular
220 kW SOEC system combining renewable electricity and industrial waste heat
recovery to produce green hydrogen more efficiently. Through pilot
demonstrations in operational industrial facilities, INDTEGRATE will assess the
technical performance, operational flexibility and economic viability, while
supporting the wider adoption of hydrogen technologies through stakeholder
engagement, skills development, training activities and a roadmap for
large-scale replication across Europe.
Kick-off meeting overview and outcomes
Hosted
by the project coordinator, KERIONICS S.L. (Spain), the kick-off meeting marked
the official start of INDTEGRATE and brought together representatives
from all partner organisations to establish a common vision and implementation
strategy for the next three years.
During
the meeting, consortium partners presented their respective roles and
responsibilities and discussed the project’s technical, managerial, and
communication activities. Particular attention was given to the development of
the SOEC system, digital twin technologies, energy management solutions, and
the preparation of the industrial pilot demonstrations in Spain and Slovenia.
Partners also exchanged views on expected impacts, collaboration mechanisms,
risk management procedures, and opportunities for creating synergies with other
European initiatives supporting industrial decarbonisation and hydrogen
technologies.
The
discussions confirmed a shared commitment to delivering innovative,
industry-driven solutions capable of accelerating the adoption of green
hydrogen in energy-intensive sectors while supporting Europe’s broader
sustainability ambitions.
Next steps
Over
the coming months, the INDTEGRATE consortium will focus on the detailed design
and development of the project’s technological building blocks, including
digital modelling tools, energy management systems, and SOEC integration
strategies. Preparatory activities for the pilot demonstrations will also
begin, alongside stakeholder engagement, dissemination, and collaboration
activities designed to maximise the project’s impact.
The
first technical results and project developments are expected to be shared
through the project’s communication channels and stakeholder engagement
activities, contributing to the advancement of sustainable hydrogen solutions
and the decarbonisation of European industry.
Project consortium
KERIONICS
S.L.
Torrecid
SA
Spanish
National Research Council (CSIC)
FUKS
GROUP
Bitwise
Oy
Steklarna
Hrastnik LLC
Precision Resource Slovenia
Universitat Politècnica de València
Center
for Applied Energy Research e.V. (CAE)
Ena
Development Consultants
YIVA
Engineering SRL
INCOTEC efficient Innovation
