Against the backdrop of the European Green Deal and its ambitious targets for emission reductions– at least 55% by 2030 and 90% by 2040 – decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors has become a matter of utmost urgency. HARMONI steps in precisely at this level, driving meaningful change in heat- and power-intensive industries, with a particular focus on High-Temperature Process Industries (HTPIs) such as cement, steel, glass, and ceramic manufacturing. In these sectors, process thermal energy accounts for 70–92% of the total energy demand, resulting in massive energy consumption and significant thermal losses.
The challenge: transforming High-Temperature Process Industries
Cement manufacturing activities are met almost entirely by the combustion of carbon-based fuels, and this led the sector to provide sustainable alternatives such as green ammonia (NH3) as promising alternative due to its high volumetric energy density and global transportation infrastructure, making it a consistent and sustainable carbon-free option compared to fossil fuels.
Among the benefits of Ammonia, we see a poor combustion characteristic, low flame speed and high NOx potential.
How HARMONI drives industrial decarbonisation
The HARMONI project is developing a systemic solution to integrate High-Temperature Process Industries (HTPIs) into the green energy grid as intelligent energy hubs, with a specific focus on cement plants.
Monitoring energy input fluctuations will be a core objective, converting intermittent renewable energy sources (RES) into the stable, high-temperature heat required for cement manufacturing. This will be achieved by demonstrating an innovative process to recover ammonia (NH3) from ammonium-rich effluents through dynamic on-site cracking, producing a tailored ammonia-hydrogen (NH3-H2) fuel blend with enhanced combustion properties.
HARMONI main objectives
- To develop and demonstrate (TRL5-6) the core technologies that enable the integrated use of RES and green NH3 for high-temperature process industries;
- To develop and validate an AI-powered digital twin (TRL 6) that functions as a human-in-the-loop recommendation system to manage energy flexibility and support the power grid;
- To validate a replicable economic model and market adoption framework;
- To define the techno-economic framework for flexible, grid-interactive plant operation;
- To conduct the life cycle assessment and comparative benchmarking;
- To co-design and establish a human-centric framework for workplace adaptation and skills development.
