VALENCIA, 12 Apr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Reducing production costs and, at the same time, implementing social and environmental responsibility, is the aim of the ‘Solarflex’ project, promoted by the Technological Institute of Plastics (Aimplas).
Aimplas is working on the development of a new generation of photovoltaic solar cells “more economical, flexible, larger, less polluting” and made with organic materials, which can replace silicon cells.
Specifically, the result of this project financed by the Valencian Institute for Business Competitiveness (ivace) and the European Union is the promotion of OPVs flexible polymer solar cells on low environmental impact substrates such as bioPET and rPET, as explained by Aimplas in a release.
Thus, ‘Solarflex’ will make it possible to avoid dependence on other raw materials and third countries. To make it possible, the cells are free of ITO (indium tin oxide), an expensive, rare and scarce metal, which is why alternative materials are sought to reduce the cost of the solar cell.
In this way, it is possible for the industry to reduce its energy dependence on non-renewable sources and have a positive impact on the economy. “The project entails the development of new solar cells whose manufacture using conventional printing technologies implies a significant reduction in the cost of production and large-scale commercialization”, highlighted the leading engineering researcher at Aimplas, Susana Otero. For the development of this work, we have the collaboration of the companies Bornay, ClearPet, Applynano Solutions, ITERA, Sinfiny and FORVIA.
On the other hand, Aimplas has advanced in other projects such as ‘Matenergyh2’ to achieve energy vectors, such as hydrogen, through processes assisted by catalysts and the development of polymeric materials.
Thus, in the words of the researcher in Decarbonization at Aimplas Daniela Ramírez, “their storage and separation can be carried out in sectors where there is a high energy demand or lightening the weight is required. In parallel, this project can help companies to implement hydrogen generation technologies adapted to their characteristics and needs”.
In this sense, ‘Matenergyh2’ seeks to end dependence on gas and oil to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, the project develops innovative materials and technology for catalyst-assisted hydrogen production due to conversion through waste gasification and the use of ammonia as an alternative vector.
In addition, it has the participation of key companies such as UBE, Keraben, Energy Storage Solutions, Greene Waste to Energy, BluePlasma Power and Stadler.
This initiative, as explained by the main researcher of the project, “will also serve to lighten the hydrogen storage systems. Thus, progress is made in the project from an innovative point of view through the development of technologies and materials with advanced characteristics”.
In this way, ‘Matenergyh2’ represents a new solution for sectors such as ceramics, transport, polymers, biomass waste generation, plastic, chemistry, among others, to reduce their dependency through the electrification of industry. All of this will lower production costs, so it has a positive impact on your economy, and, on the other hand, takes the environment into account through sustainable technologies.
Along the same lines, the Technological Institute of Plastics works to respond to energy-intensive sectors such as ceramics, with projects such as ‘CapturO2’, focused on CO2 capture technologies to collect and separate the CO2 present in combustion gases from the ceramic manufacturing process, and reuse it as a resource.
The Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC-AICE) coordinates this project, which is carrying out practical activities such as characterizing the gaseous currents of various industrial facilities to know precisely the amount of CO2 emitted and the presence of other elements, and thus analyze the possibilities to increase the concentration of CO2 in the exhaust gases from the facilities to facilitate its capture. The companies Keraben, Grupo Euroatomizado, Calcinor, Colorobbia and UBE are participating in this project.
As explained by the AIMPLAS Decarbonisation researcher responsible for this project, Mónica Viciano, “with this information, a simulation will be carried out to discern which capture technology would best adapt to these processes and laboratory tests will be carried out to analyze which material provides better values ??of capture and/or filtration of CO2. The results obtained will be the basis of a future development on a pilot scale for the capture of CO2 from industrial facilities”.
These projects are financed by IVACE through the FEDER funds of the EU, within the FEDER Operational Program of the Valencian Community 2021-2027.
