Main goals

The main goal of SHIP2FAIR is to foster the integration of solar heat in industrial processes from the agro–food sector, which is the largest manufacturing sector and the leading employer.

The project will develop a complete demonstration program up to TRL 7 involving different sectors, processes and SHIP technologies, addressing the main challenges of agro-food sector. As a result of the demonstration, SHIP2FAIR, aims to achieve up to a 40% of solar fraction with a total of 2.9 MW of installed power for producing 4.04 GWh.

40%

of solar fraction

2.9 MW

of installed power

4.04GWh

producing

The project partners will design simple solutions, which will be easy to install and operate by SMEs thanks to ad-hoc financial schemes, business models and training.

SHIP2FAIR will validate two tools. The Replication Tool is a software to support the concept design of SHIP projects and the development of techno-economic feasibility studies; this tool will combine both data from solar generation and process features, in order to provide a first outlook on SHIP integration within the process and to optimise the system according to user’s needs. The Control Tool is an online Decision Support System to optimize the management of process heating systems through a live monitoring oriented approach, able to evaluate performance also in order to better predict maintenance interventions and maximize solar power production also considering weather forecast.

Additionally, a Capacity Building Program will be performed during SHIP2FAIR, training campaigns will address professional and master students interested in SHIP applications. Finally, an Overall SHIP Guide will integrate the use of SHIP2FAIR tools, results and ad-hoc tips for supporting end-users during the design, commissioning and operation of their SHIP projects.

Control and Replication Tools will be validated and fine-tuned at the demo-sites. Besides an Overall SHIP guide will integrate the use of the tools and the results from the demonstration programme. The capacity building programme will take advantage of the tools use, on the Overall SHIP guide and on the relation with the demo-sites.

SHIP2FAIR provides a path to overcome those challenges, thus, exploiting the untapped potential of SHIP technologies:

SHIP economic competitiveness and protection from fossil fuel price volatility and increases

Cutting dependence on gas imports from rogue states

and the complexity of the integration in existing industrial processes.

The project multidisciplinary team that cover the whole value chain, involves innovation developers who will be in charge of the baseline definition and the tools design. Demo-sites show relevant differences, thus enhancing the replicability and validation of project results. Implementation partners will carry out the adequate engineering and installation of the solar field and the balance of plant. Finally, the presence of companies as energy utilities and agro-food industries associations in SHIP2FAIR, will bring an important added value to the project, as it will open business opportunities for the exploitation of the results.

SHIP2FAIR will promote energy efficiency increasing, and process heat temperature lowering while industrial plants sustainability is increased. The reduction of fossil fuel use will bring towards a strong emission reduction. Besides, the project will enable an increase of private investments thanks to operative costs reduction. SHIP2FAIR will contribute to the removal of regulatory barriers related to promote RES heating and SHIP. SHIP2FAIR will contribute to job creation and will improve the capacity and skills of stakeholders and students.

SHIP2FAIR targets to promote the penetration and the affordability of higher temperature technologies. SHIP2FAIR aims to validate through a long demonstration campaign of 18 months, the technological and economic reliability of SHIP technologies for the agro-food sector with process temperatu res in the range between 50°C and 250°C. SHIP2FAIR proposes technologies and control schemes applicable to both newly built and already existing industrial plants and able to cooperate with traditional process heating systems.

SHIP2FAIR aims to demonstrate specific reliability targets such as:

Minimum lifetime

certified at its nominal efficiency: 20 years.

Solar efficiency (yearly average):

between 37% at M&R and 54% at RODA.

Solar fraction:

between 11,2% at RAR and 39% at RODA.

Maintenance costs:

maximum increase of 5% compared to fossil fuel based solutions.