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LIFE & Energy SustainabilityThe EU LIFE Programme
Environment Visit the LIFE website: ec.europa.eu/life
Title: Moveable HEPP - Demonstration Plant in the Kinzig River: Moveable Hydroelectric Power Plant for Ecological River Improvements and Fish Migration Reestablishment
Project number: LIFE06 ENV/D/000485
Website: www.moveable-hepp.com/
Title: Green Bearings - Demonstrating innovative technologies that significantly improve the environ-mental performance of bearings
Project number: LIFE06 ENV/NL/000176
Website: www.skf.com/group/index.html RENEW ABLE
ENERGIES
Moveable HEPP Hydroelectric power accounts for 10% of EU electric power production. However, despite being a renewable source of energy, its generation can still cause significant negative environmental impacts, especially in the case of large dams. Meanwhile, the significant number of relatively small hydro-power weirs in Europe’s rivers are characterised by a low turbine head whose energy output is inefficient. Furthermore, fish are unable to pass through these constructions.
With these challenges in mind, MOVEABLE HEPP developed a more effi-cient hydroelectric power plant that works in river weirs without hindering the natural ecosystem functions of river habitats.
This new technology operates with moveable components that are able to work at different heights and allow fish to swim freely - even through the turbine, since it operates at a low rotation speed. It also reduces the flood risk and the transfer of river bed matter, along with the associated economic costs of mitigating these threats.
The two pilot plants, built in Gengenbach and Offenburg (Germany), also showed more efficient energy generation than conventional hydropower, resulting in cost savings of 16% and 11% higher returns. Technological advantages of the new system include the lack of a frequency converter, combining the turbine and generator on a single shaft, and the use of a permanent magnet for the stator.
This technology has a great transferability potential, as it can be replicat-ed on most of the several hundred river weirs currently found in the EU.
Green Bearings Bearings are an essential component of practically any technology or application involving moving elements. Environmental problems exist at each step of the lifecycle of the 50 billion bearings currently in use world-wide - these include energy consumption during production and use, and end-of-life waste of both bearings and lubricant.
GREEN BEARINGS developed a new and more environmentally-friendly range of bearings by using newly-developed technologies: new seal-ing technologies based on hard seal coatings, counterface coatings and surface design; polymers as lighter production materials; and new lu-brication technologies based on thin film and ‘lub-for-life’, which avoid re-lubrication.
The new bearings cut energy consumption by 30-70%, reduced lubricant consumption by avoiding the need for re-lubrification, and increased the lifespan of the overall product, bringing both economic and environmental benefits. With low investment costs in the new technologies there is also a strong cost benefit.
The transferability of the technologies is high because the energy-effi-cient bearings can be used in almost all processes and products where bearings are required. The beneficiary (which has 20% market share in Europe) calculated that if 50% of its customers switched to the new bear-ings, in the short-to-medium term (< 5 years) the project technologies would reduce energy consumption by 4 000 GWh/yr; and lubricant dis-posal by 400 000 tonnes/yr.
The LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment. Since 1992 it has co-financed innovative pilot and demonstration projects - with European added value - to improve the implementation and ongoing development of EU envi-ronment policy and legislation. Of the 3 956 initiatives supported by LIFE to date, over 130 projects - with a total allocation of 176 million euros - have been exclusively on energy sustainability. Through these, LIFE has supported progress on the
supply and demand sides of the energy equation, making a significant contribution to the fight against climate change.
Regarding energy supply, LIFE has focused on the further development of green energy sources such as hydropower, solar, wind and geo-thermal. LIFE has made a particular contribution to the development of the biomass energy sector, notably through new approaches and technologies for exploiting waste biomass.
LIFE projects have targeted improved energy efficiency, especially in construction, transport and housing. Positive results have included: developing energy efficient products; improving energy transport and storage; raising public awareness on efficient usage; and supporting implementation of environmental management tools.
Two good practice LIFE projects are profiled below, followed by a list of 14 other notable energy sustainability projects. Further details about all the LIFE energy sustainability projects can be found in the LIFE project database: ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/.
ENER GY
EFFICIENCY
Factsheet-LIFE-Energy-final.indd 1 4/02/14 15:53
BIOFUELS-2G Demonstration of a Sustainable & Effective 2nd Gene-ration Biofuels Application in an Urban Environment
Beneficiary: Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH)
ZEM/SHIPS Zero.Emission.Ships
Beneficiary: State Ministry of Urban Development and the Environment of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
DEMO SOFC Development and demonstration of Manufacturing and Operation of clean and efficient power generation based on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Beneficiary: Haldor Topsoe A/S
www.demo-sofc.eu/ LIFE06 ENV/DK/000226
GREEN PELLETS Best sustainable life-cycle fittings for mixed herbaceous solid biofuels for heating to reduce GHG emissions
Beneficiary: Association d’Initiatives Locales pour l’Energie et l’Environnement
LIFE07 ENV/F/000178
WINTECC Demonstration of an innovative wind propulsion tech-nology for cargo vessels
Beneficiary: Beluga Fleet Management GmbH & Co. KG
www.wintecc.de LIFE06 ENV/D/000479
OIL PRODIESEL Integrated Waste Management System for the Reuse of Used Frying Oils to Produce Biodiesel for Municipality Fleet of Oeiras
Beneficiary: Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade
LIFE05 ENV/P/000369
SLUDGE2ENERGY Waste prevention through sewage sludge reuse for efficient energy generation at waste water treatment sites
Beneficiary: Huber SE
www.sludge2energy.de/ LIFE06 ENV/D/000460
INTEGRAL-B Demonstration of a multi-feedstock sustainable biodie-sel production scheme integrating an on-site by-pro-ducts energy valorisation system
Beneficiary: Asociación de Investigación de la Industria Agroalimentaria
www.integral-b.com/ LIFE07 ENV/E/000820
BIOAGRO Innovative method for reduction of emissions of green house gases and waste from the agriculture sector
Beneficiary: Skånefrö AB
www.bioagroenergy.com/
Seq-Cure Integrated systems to enhance sequestration of carbon, producing energy crops by using organic residues
Beneficiary: Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali - CRPA S.p.A.
LIFE06 ENV/IT/000266
EFFERNERGYEnergy Efficient Building Systems
Beneficiary: Du Pont
www.eff energy.dupont.com LIFE06 ENV/L/000121
INSU-SHELLEnvironmentally Friendly Facade Elements made of thermal insulated Textile Reinforced Concrete
Beneficiary: Rheinisch - Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen
www.life-insushell.de/ LIFE06 ENV/D/000471
EDEA Efficient Development of Eco-Architecture: Methods and Technologies for Public Social Housing Building in Extremadura
Beneficiary: Junta de Extremadura (Regional Govern-ment of Extremadura)
www.proyectoedea.com/ LIFE07 ENV/E/000805
ET IDEA Environmental TRY for Innovative Dynamic Environmental and energetic Analyses
Beneficiary: NIER Ingegneria S.p.a.
www.itmeteodata.com/ LIFE09 ENV/IT/000124
www.biofuels2g.gr/ LIFE08 ENV/GR/000569
LIFE06 ENV/S/000517
LIFE06 ENV/D/000465
http://www.crpa.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=3995
SELECTIVE LIST – ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY
The LIFE Project database: ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/
Visit the LIFE website: ec.europa.eu/life
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