Exergy is proud to announce its partnership in EMPOWER, a major research initiative co-funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101192974). The project officially began on 1 January 2025 and will run until 31 December 2028, with the ambition of transforming the use of low-temperature geothermal resources and industrial waste heat into viable, clean power.
Developing next generation ORC technology for low temperature applications
Although high-temperature (>150 °C) energy sources are in widespread use, much of Europe's untapped energy lies in low-temperature reservoirs (<150 °C). These sources are abundant but under-utilized due to technical and economic challenges.
EMPOWER addresses this gap by developing next-generation Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems featuring innovative two-phase expansion turbines, which promise higher efficiency and expanded applicability.
A strong European Consortium
Led by DTU (Technical University of Denmark), EMPOWER brings together a consortium of seven partners across academia and industry, including:
- Universitatea "Babeș-Bolyai" (Romania)
- Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands)
- Steam SpA (Italy)
- Exergy
- Buzzi SpA (Italy)
- Aperam Stainless Belgium (Belgium)
with DTU acting as project coordinatoor.
Scope of the EMPOWER project
Exergy will take a role in several core activities related to the project which include:
- Designing and analysing next-generation two-phase turbines, exploring novel reaction configurations.
- Raising turbine TRL from 2 to 4 by conducting validation tests in a purpose-built experimental facility.
- Supplying real performance data for techno-economic modelling and optimization of partial-evaporation ORC systems.
- Leading a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to quantify and minimize environmental impacts within geothermal and waste-heat contexts in the European cement and steel sectors.
- Evaluating social and economic impacts, identifying deployment barriers, and developing strategies for successful market adoption.
EMPOWER's holistic approach combining R&D, experimental validation, economic modeling, environmental analysis, and societal assessment aims to unlock vast untapped low-temperature resources, aligning with the EU's goals to reduce emissions and enhance energy efficiency.
For more info visit the EMPOWER website
