ULiège is a stakeholder in most of the projects selected under the low-carbon industry framework of the Walloon Recovery Plan

The Minister of Economy, Research and Innovation, Willy BORSUS, has submitted to the Walloon Government the list of eighteen 18? projects that will be supported in the framework of the implementation of a low-carbon and circular industry, in accordance with the Walloon Recovery Plan. Projects that combine the skills of companies and research institutions. The University of Liège, with its long-standing experience in these fields, is participating in 16? of these 18 projects focusing on the circular economy and low-carbon industry. The total budget of the 18 projects amounts to € 113,750,720 million.

A

s part of the Recovery Plan, the Walloon Government has launched a call for projects aimed at developing low-carbon industry and deploying the circular economy in Wallonia, in collaboration with the Mecatech and Greenwin competitiveness clusters. This call also contributes to the implementation of the Circular Wallonia strategy, and two of its priority value chains (metallurgy and construction). The Government has selected the 18 projects, after their evaluation by an international jury.

The objectives of the call were to :

• For low-carbon industry: developing the technologies needed by industrial companies to achieve the targets set for reducing CO ₂
• For the circular economy: the emergence of projects/portfolios of projects focusing on research and development in the two priority value chains of metallurgy and construction materials. Projects should focus on circularity (reuse, upscaling and recycling) of metals, batteries and minerals, including batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles and materials from dismantled aircraft.

More specific criteria were also taken into account, such as the contribution to scientific and technical progress in terms of acquisition of new knowledge, the advantages of the innovation in terms of costs, functionalities, risks, processes, production, use, environment, technical capacities to carry out the research, the impact for Wallonia and Europe, the evaluation of the turnover and potential benefits, environmental preservation, etc. The projects also meet the European requirements of "Do no significant harm".  

The University of Liège is involved in 16 ? of the 18 Walloon projects. Many researchers from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the Faculty of Sciences and the Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL) will participate in the development of the projects and project portfolios selected by the Walloon Government.  "Decarbonation and the circular economy will clearly be pillars of the recovery and redeployment of our Region. These two areas have been confirmed as priorities by the social partners. These models are a real opportunity for Wallonia, whether in terms of innovation, jobs or economic recovery," said Willy Borsus, Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister for the Economy, Research and Innovation, Digital, Agriculture, Spatial Planning, IFAPME and Skills Centres. These projects should also generate numerous direct and indirect jobs in these sectors of activity.

Projects in which ULiège is involved

Low carbon industry category

• HECO₂ BUTTERFLY (HECO wallet₂ ) : Development of a 'PFR' lime kiln to capture and concentrate CO₂ directly in the lime manufacturing process to make it compatible with the requirements of sequestration or utilisation applications.
  Consortium: TECforLime, ULiège (Angélique Léonard, Grégoire Léonard), Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM), Coretec Engineering, Chaudronnerie et Tuyauteries Industrielles, VOCSens SRL, Eco Bureau Construct - EBC, Université de Mons (UMons)
• CLEANGRID: To investigate the new characteristics and potential of an innovative high power converter structure that can preserve the advantages of conventional solutions while eliminating their weaknesses.
  Consortium: JEMA, LABORELEC, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), ULiège (Bertrand Cornélusse)
• ELECTRIFICATION (HECO portfolio₂ ): electrification of industrial processes at high temperatures. Consortium: AGC Glass Europe, Aperam Stainless Belgium, John Cockerill (CMI), Global Process Automation Industry (GPAI), Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULiège (Angélique Léonard)
• NKL: synthesis of carbon-neutral paraffin (EKerosene) from renewable electricity and fatal carbon dioxide
  Consortium: LABORELEC, Fluxys Belgium, Lhoist Recherche et Développement, RESA, ULiège (Grégoire Léonard, Damien Ernst), University of Mons (UMons), Hamon Thermal Europe
• SATURN (HECO portfolio₂ ): development and implementation of a CO capture and concentration solution₂ post-combustion
  Consortium: APERAM Stainless Belgium, TECforLime, PRAYON, AGC Glass Europe, CORETEC Engineering, VOCSens, Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM), ULiège (Grégoire Léonard, Angélique Léonard), Université de Mons (UMons)

Category "aircraft dismantling"

• PLANUM: integrated end-of-life industrial management of aircraft supported by digitalisation and advanced circularity of aircraft components.
  Consortium: Sabena Aerospace Technologies, Comet Traitements, Cometsambre, Citius Engineering, ULiège (Eric Pirard, CSL), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), SIRRIS, Materia Nova, Wallonie Aerotraining Network (WAN), Pôle MecaTech

Category "Circular economy"

• CARBOC (Portfolio REverse Mineral INDustry): capture and storage of CO₂ by carbonation of bottom ash and concrete with reduced cement content.
  Consortium : Remind Wallonia, IPALLE, TRBA, Rossens Betons, Centre Technologique International de la Terre et de la Pierre, ULiège (Angélique Léonard, Luc Courard)
• CGROUT (Portfolio REverse Mineral INDustry): pre-treatment of waste and by-products of mineral origin with a view to their integration into formulations of architectural materials for the offshore wind industry.
  Consortium : Remind Wallonia, Euroquartz, Lessines Industries, Centre Technologique International de la Terre et de la Pierre, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), ULiège (Angélique Léonard)
• CIBER (Portfolio REverse Mineral INDustry): circularity of precast concrete.
  Consortium : Remind Wallonia, Maurice Wanty Etablissements, Cogetrina Logistics, Roosens Betons, Centre Technologique International de la Terre et de la Pierre, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), ULiège (Angélique Léonard, Luc Courard)
• CISTEEMIC (Reverse Metallurgy + Portfolio): expanding three industrial sectors supported by the growth of the electric mobility and energy transition sectors (Li-ion batteries, copper and rare-earth elements).
  Consortium : Comet Traitements, Hydrométal, Citius Engineering, Sagacify, Cockerill Maintenance & Engineering (CMI), Reverse Metallurgy, Centre Technologique International de la Terre et de la Pierre, Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM), ULiège (Eric Pirard, Rudi Cloots, Angélique Léonard), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
• ECWALI (Reverse Metallurgy + Portfolio): facilitating the sorting of aluminium alloys and stainless steels.
  Consortium: Comet Traitements, Aperam Stainless Belgium, Citius Engineering, Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM), Fonderies J. Marichal-Ketin &Cie, Reverse Metallurgy, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), ULiège(Eric Pirard, Angélique Léonard, CSL)
• IRMA (Portfolio REverse Mineral INDustry): manufacture of refractory and non-combustible materials by recovering inert industrial waste, deconstruction waste (including mineral insulation) and other recycled resources.
  Consortium : Remind Wallonia, Ipsiis, Centre Technologique International de la Terre et de la Pierre, Centre Scientifique et Technique de la Construction (CSTC), VINCI Construction France, ULiège (Angélique Léonard), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
• PYROTECNIC (Reverse Metallurgy + Portfolio): development of a pyrometallurgy industrial sector and intelligent packaging techniques for the circular economy.
  Consortium: Hydrometal, Reverse Metallurgy, Aperam Stainless Belgium, Fabricom Industrie Sud (EQUANS), Matériaux Céramiques- Fiven Belgium, Höganäs Belgium, Fonderies J. Marichal-Ketin &Cie, PEPS engineering, Revatech, Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM), MecaTech cluster.
• REMADE (Reverse Metallurgy + Portfolio): to valorise recycled metals in very high added value products by developing different production/use channels for metal powders.
  Consortium: Husqvarna Belgium, Reverse Metallurgy, AGC Glass Europe, Any-Shape, Comet Traitements, Diarotech, IONICS, IT-Optics, Fonderies J. Marichal-Ketin &Cie, Westinghouse Electric Belgium, Wilmet, Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM), SIRRIS, Materia Nova, ULiège(Eric Pirard, Rudi Cloots, Angélique Léonard), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
• WASTES₂ CEM (Portfolio REverse Mineral INDustry): development of an alternative circular binder based on slag and fly ash.
  Consortium : Remind Wallonia, Compagnie des Ciments Belges (CCB), DC Environnement, Duferco Wallonie, International Technological Centre for Earth and Stone, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), ULiège (Angélique Léonard)
• WASTES₂ MAT (Portfolio REverse Mineral INDustry): development of an alternative circular binder based on ettringite.
  Consortium : Remind Wallonia, IPALLE, Sedisol, Centre Technologique International de la Terre et de la Pierre, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), ULiège (Angélique Léonard, Frédéric Collin)