HighEFF started in 2016 with a vision of a joint effort for creating competitive, energy efficient and environmentally friendly industry for the future. At the Cross Sector Workshop in October 2022, it was time for HighEFF partners to review and discuss the work plan for the Centre’s remaining period until 2024.
“In HighEFF, we have a unique partnership with industrial partners in various sectors, sharing knowledge, experiences and different perspectives for increasing energy efficiency in their operations and business,” said Centre Director of HighEFF, Petter Røkke, in his welcome speech.
Today, more than 70% of energy in Norway is consumed by industry, and the need for power and heat is increasing for both existing and new Norwegian industry.
“If the surplus heat from the industry can be used, at least 20 TWh could potentially be saved each year. Wasting energy must have a cost, and utilizing it should be rewarded,” Røkke said.
Surplus heat and different potential energy sources was a theme of many of the presentations of the cases studied in Research Area 6.
For HighEFF it is important to contribute to solutions that are of value to industry. From the food and chemicals sector, REMA 1000 credits their cooperation with the HighEFF team as the reason that they managed to develop the first environmentally friendly grocery store at Kroppanmarka in Trondheim in 2013.
“Since 2013, REMA 1000 has reduced its emissions by over 68%,” Øystein Fjørtoft, CEO of REMA Establishment in mid-Norway, said in his presentation.
Another successful project that has come out of HighEFF as a spinoff project is the innovation project (IPN) SkaleUP. This project has developed and tested high-temperature heat pumps (HTHP) at the TINE Dairy in Trondheim to save energy.
“TINE Dairy in Trondheim managed to save energy equivalent to 59 family houses,” SINTEF Research Scientist Christian Schlemminger presented at the workshop.
HighEFF has so far nearly tripled their promises for disseminating project results by publishing journal papers and giving conference presentations. Their educational goals have also been reached:
“We aimed for 22 PhDs and postdocs, and we already have 19 PhD and 6 postdocs. We have also identified 11 associated PhDs,” said Truls Gundersen, Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
Thomas Adams, professor at NTNU, has recently moved to Norway from Canada. He talked about different ways to realise a Trans-Atlantic energy supply from Canada to Europe.
“I’m here to work with HighEFF because I think we could make it happen,” he said.
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