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Tools for Sustainabiltity Impact Assessment of the Forestry- Wood Chain

The objective of EFORWOOD is to develop a quantitative decision support tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment of the European Forestry-Wood Chain (FWC) and subsets thereof (e.g. regional), covering forestry, industrial manufacturing, consumption and recycling. The objective will be achieved by:a) defining economic, environmental and social sustainability indicators ,b) developing a tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment by integrating a set of models ,c) supplying the tool with real data, aggregated as needed and appropriate,d) testing the tool in a stepwise procedure allowing adjustments to be made according to the experiences gained,e) applying the tool to assess the sustainability of the present European FWC (and subsets thereof) as well the impacts of potential major changes based on scenarios,f) making the adapted versions of the tool available to stakeholder groupings (industrial, political and others).The multi-functionality of the FWC is taken into account by using indicators to assess the sustainability of production processes and by including in the analysis the various products and services of the FWC. Wide stakeholder consultations will be used throughout the process to reach the objective. EFORWOOD will contribute to EU policies connected to the FWC, especially to the Sustainable Development Strategy. It will provide policy-makers, forest owners, the related industries and other stakeholders with a tool to strengthen the forest-based sector's contribution towards a more sustainable Europe, thereby also improving its competitiveness. To achieve this, EFORWOOD gathers a consortium of highest-class experts, including the most representative forest-based sector confederations.EFORWOOD addresses with a high degree of relevance the objectives set out in the 3rd call for proposals addressing Thematic Sub-priority 1.1.6.3 Global Change and Ecosystems, topic V.2.1. Forestry/wood chain for Sustainable Development. Prime Contractor: Stiftelsen Skogsbrukets Forskningsinstitut, Skogforsk; Uppsala; Sweden.

Solar Steam Reforming of Methane Rich Gas for Synthesis Gas Production (SOLREF)

Project main goals: The main purpose of this project is to develop an innovative 400 kWth solar reformer for several applications such as Hydrogen production or electricity generation. Depending of the feed source for the reforming process CO2 emissions can be reduced significantly (up to 40 percent using NG), because the needed process heat for this highly endothermic reaction is provided by concentrated solar energy. A pre-design of a 1 MW prototype plant in Southern Italy and a conceptual layout of a commercial 50 MWth reforming plant complete this project. Key issues: The profitability decides if a new technology has a chance to come into the market. Therefore several modifications and improvements to the state-of-the-art solar reformer technology will be introduced before large scale and commercial system can be developed. These changes are primarily to the catalytic system, the reactor optimisation and operation procedures and the associated optics for concentrating the solar radiation. For the dissemination of solar reforming technology the regions targeted are in Southern Europe and Northern Africa. The potential markets and the impact of infrastructure and administrative restrictions will be assessed. The environmental, socio-economic and institutional impacts of solar reforming technology exploitation will be assessed with respect to sustainable development. The market potential of solar reforming technology in a liberalised European energy market will be evaluated. Detailed cost estimates for a 50 MWth commercial plant will be determined.

High volume manufacturing of photovoltaic products (HIGHSOL)

Objective: The project highSol aims at the transformation of innovative manufacturing concepts on a laboratory scale into the full industrial scale. The result will be the demonstration of technologies which will enable the mass manufacturing of Photovoltaic products with a serious reduction of manufacturing costs. The objectives are: - Demonstrating the automated manufacturing of Photovoltaic products based on thin wafers with a thickness of 150 micro m. - Increasing and maintaining the overall yield with the implementation of in-process quality control and feedback systems. - Demonstrating the manufacturing integration with the implementation of interfaces which will serve for future standards. The objectives will be reached by the following approach: Saving feedstock, by enabling manufacturing of 150Mikro m wafer with a wafer size of 210*210mm, will enable a direct cost reduction of 25%. As the envisaged cost reduction in Photovoltaic industry is 5% per year, this action alone will provide European Photovoltaic industry.

Energy in Minds

Das europaweite Förderprojekt hat zum Ziel, den Anteil fossiler Energieträger und den Ausstoß von CO2 in vier europäischen Städten innerhalb von 5 Jahren um 20 Prozent bis 30 Prozent zu senken. Teilnehmer sind Neckarsulm in Deutschland, die Energieregion Weiz-Gleisdorf in Österreich, Falkenberg in Schweden und Zlin in Tschechien. Neben diesen Städten nehmen Gornji Grad in Slowenien und die Region Turin in Italien als Beobachterstädte an dem Projekt teil. Alle Partner sind führend auf dem Gebiet regenerativer Energiesysteme und rationeller Energieverwendung. Maßnahmen: - Sensibilisierung der Bevölkerung für Energiefragen, - Energieagenturen werden eingerichtet bzw. ausgebaut, - ein jährlich stattfindender Energie-Tag' wird eingeführt, - Durchführung von Informationskampagnen, - Energiechecks und Gebäudesanierungen, - Realisierung von Sonnenkollektoren und Photovoltaikanlagen, - alte Heizungsanlagen privater Haushalte werden durch CO2-neutrale Holzpellet-Heizungen ersetzt, - biomassebetriebene Heizkraftwerke sollen die Effizienz bestehender Nahwärmeversorgung verbessern. Projekte der Partnerstädte: Im Rahmen des Projekts werden innovative Energietechnologien getestet, weiterentwickelt, ausgewertet und optimiert. Neckarsulm: Realisierung einer solarbetriebenen Klärschlamm-Trocknungsanlage, - Durchführung eines Feldversuches mit Holzpellet-Stirling Motoren. Weiz-Gleisdorf: Schaffung einer Infrastruktur zur Belieferung mit Pflanzenöl, - Fahrzeugtests mit dem Kraftstoff-Pflanzenöl. Falkenberg: Errichtung von Windturbinen, - Untersuchung passiver Kühlung mit der innovativen PCM-Technik. Zlin: Nutzung von Energie aus der Abfallverbrennung. Ein wichtiger Aspekt während der gesamten Projektdauer ist die Zusammenarbeit, der Erfahrungsaustausch, die Wissensverbreitung aller Partner inner- und außerhalb des Konsortiums. Energy in Minds.' - Visionen: Dieses Forschungsprojekt soll Initiativen anregen, unterstützend wirken, um das Energiebewußtsein der Bevölkerung positiv zu verändern und zu stärken. STZ-EGS ist Initiator und Koordinator der 18 Vertragspartner.

Twinning European and South Asian river basins to enhance capacity and implement adaptive integrated water ressources management approaches (BRAHMATWINN)

BRAHMATWINN will enhance capacity to carry out a harmonised integrated water resources management (IWRM) approach as addressed by the European Water Initiative (EWI) in headwater river systems of alpine mountain massifs already impacted from climate change, and to establish transfer of professional IWRM expertise, approaches and tools based on case studies carried out in twinning European and Asian river basins. With altogether eleven work packages (WP) the project addresses all important IWRM issues in a balanced way, including conflict resolution in the trans- boundary twinning Upper Danube River Basin (UDRB) and the Upper Brahmaputra River Basins (UBRB) in Europe and South Asia respectively. In altogether seventy work tasks of the jointly identified WP social and natural scientists in cooperation with water law experts and local stakeholders will realize the project outcomes: (i) an integrated holistic approach and assessment of the transboundary UDRB and UBRB for sustainable IWRM; (ii) integrated indicators to quantify the natural environment and human dimension, selected to assess IWRM vulnerabilities; (iii) an integrated water resources management system (IWRMS) comprising the DANUBIA hydrological model, the river basin information system (RBIS) and the network analysis, creative modelling decision support system NetSyMod; (iv) a set of what-if scenarios, evaluated using the DPSIR approach, and associated adaptive IWRM options tested by means of the IWRMS to mitigate impacts of likely climate change; and (v) IWRM action plans based on the stakeholder negotiation and the governance assessment. The project consortium of altogether fifteen partners from Europe (10 partner) and Asia (5 partner) shares the financial grant requested proportionally and will guarantee the generation of the necessary synergism required to represent the complex system component interaction and to carry out the required knowledge transfer between Europe and Asia.

High density power electronics for FC- and ICE-Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrains (HOPE)

Objective: The project HOPE is addressing power electronics. It is based on previous EU research projects like the recently finished FW5 HIMRATE (high-temperature power modules), FW5 PROCURE (high-temperature passive components), and MEDEA+ HOTCAR (high-temperature control electronics) and other EU and national research projects. The general objectives of HOPE are: Cost reduction; meet reliability requirements; reduction of volume and weight. This is a necessity to bring the FC- and ICE-hybrid vehicles to success. WP1 defines specifications common to OEM for FC- and ICE-hybrid vehicle drive systems; Identification of common key parameters (power, voltage, size) that allows consequent standardisation; developing a scalability matrix for power electronic building blocks PEBBs. The power ranges will be much higher than those of e.g. HIMRATE and will go beyond 100 kW electric power. WP2 works out one reference mission profile, which will be taken as the basis for the very extensive reliability tests planned. WP3 is investigating key technologies for PEBBs in every respect: materials, components (active Si- and SiC switches, passive devices, sensors), new solders and alternative joinings, cooling, and EMI shielding. In WP4 three PEBBs will be developed: HDPM (high density power module) which is based on double side liquid cooling of the power semiconductor devices; IML (power mechatronics module), which is based on a lead-frame technology; and SiC-PEBB inverter (silicon carbide semiconductor JFET devices instead of Si devices). WP5 develops a control unit for high-temperature control electronics for the SiC-PEBBs. Finally WP6 works on integrating the new technologies invented in HOPE into powertrain systems and carries out a benchmark tests. All the results achieved in HOPE will be discussed intensively with the proposed Integrated Project HYSIS where the integration work will take place. It is clear from the start that many innovations are necessary to meet the overall goal.

Renewable fuels for advanced powertrains (RENEW)

Objective: This project aims to develop, assess and train on various production chains for motor vehicle fuels ligno-cellulosic biomass sources will be used as feedstock to produce synthesis gas from which various vehicle fuels can be derived: CH4, methanol/DME, ethanol (thermo-chemical and enzymatic pathway) and a novel biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuel. The project will develop and evaluate the respective processing technologies with a view to producing cost effective premium fuels for current and future combustion engines from a wide bandwidth of feedstock. Within 4 vertical subprojects, alternative thermo-chemical gasification, enzymatic fuel production and fuel synthesis processes will be considered, while 2 horizontal subprojects are directed towards technology assessment and training. Two pilot-produced fuels (DME and BTL) will be submitted to extensive motor-tests by 4 leading European car manufacturers within this project. Other fuels will be made available for tests in various other European R&D projects. It is envisaged that this project will lead to the introduction of favourably priced biomass-derived fuels for motor vehicles, from 2010 onwards. Apart from achieving scientific and technological results, RENEW has the vision to develop commonly agreed strategic recommendations, based on an understanding among relevant players in industry, agriculture and research concerning the technological and market potential of different bio-fuels and their production technologies. RENEW is novel and hugely important to Europe. It offers major Kyoto Protocol benefits, enhances the sustainability and security of vehicle fuel supply, and has positive Regional socio-economic impacts. RENEW involves 31 partners, including 7 SME, from 9 EU MS and AS countries. The consortium has the necessary 'critical mass' to achieve its goals and develop the technology to commercial stage beyond the end of the project.

Assessing and forward planning of the Geodetic And Geohazard Observing Systems for GMES applications (GAGOS)

Substantial improvement of our present knowledge of Earth System dynamics is paramount for the development of reliable strategies for actions vital to the human society in terms of achieving sustainable development and ensuring security. This requires for the various system components long-term integrated global data series from a large variety of sensors and networks combined with high performance rapid computing and a uniform and efficient access to distributed data archives and data information systems. The SSA proposed here aims (1) at assessing the status quo situation of two major components of the Earth observing system, namely the global geodetic and global geohazards observing systems as indispensable prerequisites for the consistent global monitoring of the Earth system environment and security aspects of population and (2) identifying deficiencies and gaps in both components and providing advice for the implementation of necessary adaptations and potential new developments in network-, shared computing-, and information/data management task for the observing techniques involved.

European Optimised Pantograph Catenary Interface (EUROPAC)

Objective: Europac will gather major European railway stakeholders around a research project on vehicle-infrastructure interaction through the pantograph-catenary contact. The project aims at enhancing interoperability between pantographs and catenaries all over Europe, decreasing the number of incidents related to this system, and reducing maintenance costs by improving preventive maintenance and diminishing corrective maintenance. On that purpose, Europac will develop a comprehensive system composed of a joint interoperable software, an on-board monitoring system and a track-side monitoring station. The Europac software is designed to predict the interoperability between any present and future pantograph and catenary. Moreover, it is intended to take into account up to now unaddressed effects of deteriorated conditions such as extreme temperatures, cross-winds, wear or defects in devices. The on-board monitoring system aims at detecting defects in a catenary, identifying their origins and evaluating their seriousness. The goal of the track-side monitoring station is to evaluate both compatibility and quality of a pantograph coming into a network. The two systems will combine human-like expert-systems with real-time analyses. Europac's contribution to integration of European railways is manifold: - At the regulation level, it will help refining interoperability specifications and standards and defining new ones. - At the industrial level, it will help manufacturers to comply with interoperability requirements while reducing their development costs. - At the operational level, it will allow railway operators and infrastructure managers to both increase interoperability and reinforce reliability of their rolling stocks and infrastructures. Increased productivity along with economies of scale allowed by interoperability will radically improve competitiveness of the railway transport, thus reversing the trend in favour to this environmentally-friendly mode of transport.

European road transport research advisory council European road transport 2020: a vision and strategic research agenda (ERTRAC)

Objective: Introduction At the Lisbon European Council, a new strategic goal was set for the European Union 'to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010'. In line with this goal, ERTRAC - the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council - makes a crucial contribution to the establishment of the European Research Area (ERA) by involving all main stakeholders in the road transport sector and by fostering structured, optimised and integrated R&D efforts across European programmes. This is done via a system approach to road transport challenges in order to enhance the efficiency of research activities in Europe ERTRAC Mission & Impacts In order to support the development of a truly sustainable road transport system, the primary mission of ERTRAC is to: Provide a strategic vision of European road transport in 2020, particularly with respect to R&D focused on breakthrough technologies; Set out strategies and roadmaps to realise this vision through the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and other associated documents. ERTRAC will address the key economic, technological, environmental and societal challenges of the 21st century for the road transport system, for instance:. Meeting the future demand for road transport and mobility,. Further improving road safety;. Promoting sustainable development;. Contributing to European security of energy supply;. Enhancing the EU competitiveness;. Developing a fully integrated European transport system. Coordination Action Objectives The ERTRAC Coordination Action will provide a platform to all relevant stakeholders for establishing consensus on future road transport research directions. The objective is to provide the management and organisational together with technical support, required to facilitate ERTRAC achieving its mission. Finally, ERTRAC results need an extensive promotion and dissemination towards a large audience of research partners.

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