e-Refinery initiative launched

On Tuesday 22 May the Process & Energy lab was filled to the brim with e-Refinery. This brand-new consortium will help to electrify and decarbonise the chemical and energy industries with its unique integrated approach, ranging from materials to processes and their upscaling.

Programme developer Paulien Herder, 3mE dean Theun Baller and AS dean Lucas van Vliet officially launched the consortium at the 3mE pilot plant. Theun Baller: "With e-Refinery, TU Delft and the industry are collaboratively investing in tackling the climate challenges of the chemical and energy industry. We also train the energy experts of the future who can develop sustainable raw materials and fuels.”  Lucas van Vliet: "The electrification of the chemical industry is an important and necessary step in the impending energy transition. In addition to reducing the CO2 footprint, it offers plenty of opportunities for the energy sector and the chemical industry. TU Delft is working from different angles and disciplines on a central aspect of this transition: the e-Refinery.”

Investment programme
During the event, the initiative’s recent achievements were highlighted. e-Refinery researchers showed their latest technologies in the areas of electrochemical conversion, flexible energy storage and large-scale conversion of renewable electricity into fuels and chemical building blocks. In the future, such technologies should lead to a fossil-fuel free industry. Also, a substantial TU Delft investment programme was announced.  A lab tour was also on the programme of the event that was visited by academics and representatives from industry and government.

About e-Refinery
In tomorrow’s renewable energy system, the mismatch between supply and demand represents a major challenge. Flexible energy storage in the form of chemicals produced by using electrical energy offers prospects for the energy sector to deal with this challenge. The large-scale production of synthetic fuels, platform chemicals and other materials using electrical energy from renewable sources addresses sustainability demands and is an important step towards creating a circular economy. The experts involved in the e-Refinery initiative believe that this will take a long-term (10+ years) national research and development effort. In the e-Refinery initiative four faculties (TNW, 3mE, EWI and TBM) are joining forces with knowledge institutions, industry and government  to develop a world-leading knowledge ecosystem.

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