HERCCULES project: overview, objectives and early progress

HERCCULES is an Innovation Action under the Horizon Europe research programme aimed at demonstrating, for the first time, the feasibility of the entire CCUS chain in southern Europe at TRL 7-8. The project focuses mainly on decarbonizing two strategic clusters in northern Italy and Greece, specifically targeting two hard-to-abate sectors: cement production and energy from waste. To achieve this goal, significant effort is being directed towards piloting and demonstration activities. Three CO2 capture pilots are currently in the design phase; two will be installed in two cement plants and one in an EfW plant; three CO2 utilization pilots will be set up to test the mineralization of a portion of the captured CO2, and finally, the two most advanced CO2 storage sites in southern Europe, Ravenna (Italy) and Prinos (Greece), will be employed to conduct storage activities. Currently, the movable solvent-based Post-Combustion Capture pilot plant design and procurement has been completed, the construction phase is underway in a cement plant in Italy, and the plant is expected to be commissioned in the coming months. On the other hand, the development of the oxyfuel calcination pilot plant, which is important for demonstrating the novel hybrid process, is still under development. Furthermore, the design and detailed engineering of the integrated CaL+CPU pilot plant to be installed in an EfW plant in Italy have been completed, and the procurement phase is currently underway. Finally, to support the demonstration of technologies for CO2 mineralization and CaO-CaL by-product re-utilization, several natural and synthetic zeolite materials have been evaluated to support the design of the zeolite-based mineralization pilot. The mineralization plant's construction is underway, with its commissioning expected to be completed in the coming months.