description
- TOP REF aims to develop and validate specific indicators, methodologies and non-invasive tools devoted to the improvement of resource efficiency in energy intensive continuous industrial processes in the non-ferrous, chemical and petrochemical sectors. This methodologies and tools, will allow the consecution of the TOP-REF final impacts: • To improve energy efficiency by 20% compared with the current practices. • To path the way for achieving the SPIRE2030 objective of reducing non-renewable, primary raw material intensity up to 20% and fossil energy intensity up to 30%, both compared with current levels. • To increase the reusability and recycling of materials between 70-100% depending on the sector. • Reduce production costs up to 15 % compared with the current levels. • A significant reduction of the environmental impacts (CO2 emissions, water footprint, pollutants, hazardous emissions, etc.). To achieve these impacts, TOP-REF will develop and demonstrate a robust, resource-efficiency-focused and cross-sectorial methodology. This methodology will be implemented in three specific, non-invasive, real time and on-line monitoring and control tools adapted to three specific continuous energy and resource intensive processes: non-ferrous (aluminium), petrochemical and chemical. The three tools will be validated through demonstration under real conditions in three pilots, one in each sector. In order to guarantee TOP-REF impacts, specific Key Resources Indicators (KRI) will be developed and standardized to foster the greening and the competiveness of the European process industry. The indicators, based among others on life cycle studies, will help to measure the decoupling of environmental impacts from the economic growth and the use of resources. Furthermore, an eco-label based on the Key Resources Indicators (KRI) will be developed in the project.