Visit to BFI’s Laboratory and Technical Hall – Exploring the Foundations of EnWaRec Research

24

Oct

As part of the EnWaRec Kick-off Meeting held on 14–15 October 2025, consortium partners had the opportunity to visit BFI’s laboratory and technical hall in Düsseldorf. The visit provided a hands-on introduction to the experimental infrastructure and technologies that will support EnWaRec’s research activities throughout the project.

During the tour, the BFI research team presented pilot installations, measurement systems, and testing facilities. Partners were introduced to some of the technological context in which the project’s innovative solutions will be developed and validated.

This on-site experience allowed partners to better understand the operational environment of the European steel industry and the challenges associated with waste heat and water recovery. The visit also encouraged valuable discussions on future pilot testing, data sharing, and coordination between technical and research teams.

The consortium thanks BFI (VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH) for hosting the visit and for its continuous support as EnWaRec’s coordinator.

October 24, 2025

https://isqgroup.com/

ISQ is a leading Portuguese technology and innovation center with 60 years of experience, conducts advanced R&D through specialized centers in low carbon & resource efficiency, materials, digital systems, and training. Collaborating with over 1,200 partners across sectors like energy, aerospace, and industry, ISQ drives technology transfer and sustainable innovation. For EnWaRec, ISQ leads Work Package 6, focusing on the environmental and economic assessments of the novel water and energy recovery technologies, together with the new dynamic water circuit management solutions. This will be done via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) studies, helping to support the transition to a greener and more competitive steel industry in Europe.

https://www.uniovi.es/

UNIOVI focuses primarily on the development and integration of predictive models for critical water system management, particularly the creation of models to forecast corrosion behavior and scale formation, as well as future water demand. These forecasting tools, along with rule-based models for energy and water recovery—which aim to ensure stable performance, reduce maintenance, and prevent operational issues—will be integrated into a user interface and rigorously tested under operating conditions. Finally, industrial partners will assess operator acceptance of the technology, identify potential constraints, and propose necessary improvements.

https://questhub.eu/

Questhub provides state-of-the-art consultancy & technical services. It is actively involved in the development of business opportunities in the research and innovation sector. It aims at managing innovations to create and transfer social, environmental, economic, and industrial sustainability values for companies and entities through research and technology processes.

https://easyhydrosolutions.com/

Easy Hydro is an SME specialising in the design and supply of hydropower energy recovery systems, with a focus on small-scale and cost-effective solutions. Originating from over a decade of research at Trinity College Dublin, Easy Hydro has unique expertise in the design of micro-hydropower installations and the use of standard water pumps operating as turbines (Pumps As Turbines, PAT).

https://www.csic.es/es

The National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM) is one of the most prestigious and traditional research centres of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) being at the forefront of research in Metallurgy and Metallic Materials since its creation in 1963. Today, CENIM is currently a multidisciplinary Centre which brings together researchers from the Science and Technology of Materials Research and one of its goals is to provide technological support to the Spanish steel industry.