EU Project SUPREMASSyngas modular Units Providing Renewable Energy from Multiple wAstes and for different useS – new project SUPREMAS has started

The EU funded SUPREMAS project (upcoming website: www.supremas.eu) has officially started in May 2024. The project's kick-off meeting took place at the headquarters of the consultancy company RINA-C, the project coordinator, in Genoa, Italy, on 16th May 2024. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is one of the project partners and supports the market analysis and stakeholder mapping.

Project summary

Many EU countries are net importers of oil and gas (in 2022 the EU’s natural gas import dependency rate was 97 %), and thus particularly exposed to energy reliability and market volatility risk. EU natural gas production is continuing its decreasing trend. As such, the EU Agenda ambitious objectives, together with the external dependence on natural gas, imply that green gases such as bio-syngas are essential in the energy transition. SUPREMAS in this framework is determined to advance the European technology leadership in bio-energy development, fostering decentralized gas systems development and contributing to the energy transition for different use cases. SUPREMAS outcomes will enable circular value chains where multiple residues, discarded from different processes, will be valorized providing electricity, heat and cooling and new materials. SUPREMAS will develop cost-effective modular and movable syngas production units particularly suitable to treat sewage sludge, digestate and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste as well as a Decision Support Tool designed to guide decision-making and impact assessment. Environmental sustainability, and technical-economic viability of the proposed solutions will be validated through a demonstration campaign in two different EU countries (Spain and Portugal). A deep replicability assessment will be done and pre-feasibility analysis developed in 10 further demo sites across all over Europe. 6 Co-creation workshops will be organized to promote stakeholders’ engagement and communities involvement thus unlocking barriers and making SUPREMAS replication real. The project duration is 4 years, from May 2024 to April 2028.

Project Consortium

SUPREMAS Consortium consists of 12 organizations from 7 different countries (IT, SE, FR, DE, ES, BE, PT) interesting overall South, Center and North of Europe and representing a wide taste of Europe in terms of population, culture and economic power.

The Multinational Engineering Consultancy company RINA-C coordinates the Consortium which includes product design and manufacturing (RESET), engineering consultancy services covering different key areas – environmental assessment, energy system management modeling, works direction, market strategy (RINA-C), Waste Water Treatment Plant and Waste Management companies (AEdP, AGROAMB), experts in energy management ICT solutions development (ARTE), solutions adaptation to help market uptake (ENGREEN, WIP) as well as stakeholders’ engagement, also guaranteeing proper dissemination of project results. The consortium also has academic and research organizations (MDU, CIRCE, CIIAE), Associations (ERGAR) and Innovation partners (Steinbeis Europa Zentrum), facilitating the exchange of knowledge between complementary forces (academy and companies), which consequently will be reflected in the quality of the developed work.

Project first steps

SUPREMAS project will move its first steps in setting the business framework for decentralized syngas production. Syngas production market analysis with a focus on decentralized production applications will be done investigating industrial players, market drivers and market barriers, volumes and prices, existing business models. This will put the basis for the next community impact assessment evaluation through a stakeholders mapping and engagement plan starting from the demo cases and moving further. The project will investigate energy communities’ opportunities from bio-syngas decentralized production thus paving the way for successful engagement of end-users of local communities. The first report to be published “Syngas decentralized production framework” is expected in December 2024.

As a project partner, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum supports the market analysis and stakeholder mapping, the multi stakeholder and community engagement, Innovation and IP management and exploitation activities and further use of the project results.

Contact Coordinator: Laura Bertolacci, PhD RINA Consulting S.p.A. -  Email: laura.bertolacci@rina.org