The SOLPART project has been launched on the 1st of January 2016. The project will last 4 years until the 31st of December 2019. More information can be found on the EC website https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/199440_fr.html

This has been funded through the specific H2020 call : LCE-02-2015 – Developing the next generation technologies of renewable electricity and heating/cooling

The main objective of the SOLPART project is to develop, at pilot scale, a high temperature 24h/day solar process suitable for particle treatment in energy intensive industries (e.g. cement or lime industries). The project aims at supplying totally or partially the thermal energy requirement for CaCO3 calcination by high temperature solar heat thus reducing the life cycle environmental impacts of the process and increasing the attractiveness of renewable heating technologies in process industries.

Figure: PROMES-CNRS solar furnace in Odeillo – Test site of the demonstrator

The project develops and merges three advanced technologies: high temperature solar reactor, transport of high-temperature solid materials and high temperature thermal storage. The synergy between these technologies lies in using the solar-treated particles as storage medium.

The development of a such innovative technology for continuous particle processed by concentrated solar energy at about 950°C is unique in the world. Thanks to the solar unit integration in the industrial process (potentially combined with CO2 capture), this should result in the considerable reduction of the carbon footprint of the CO2 emitter industries and open a new market for renewable energies.