MATERIALS ROADMAP ENABLING
LOW CARBON ENERGY
TECHNOLOGIES
Renzo Tomellini
renzo.tomellini@ec.europa.eu
Head of Unit Materials
Innovation from
Materials
Some 70 percent of all
technical innovations
hinge directly or indirectly on
the properties
of the materials they use.
Material innovations can be
used in practically all
technology sectors and
branches of industry.
Material innovations have
the potential to reduce
environmental pollution,
save energy, conserve
resources, make mobility
less dangerous and
improve the quality of our
life.
Source: ACATECH, 2009,
http://www.research-in-germany.de/dachportal/en/downloads/download-files/9554/high-tech-strategy-2006-112-pages-.pdf
Impact of
Advanced Material Technology
Impact of advanced material technology on ICT, Energy &
Biotechnology
(% growth attributable to advanced materials)
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
ICT
15
25
40
55
65
75
85
Energy
10
15
30
45
55
65
70
Biotechnology
5
10
20
30
45
55
65
Advanced materials have an earlier & greater impact in
ICT (incl. electronics),
followed by Energy (incl. construction)
and Biotechnology (incl. health)
Source: Sanford M. Moskowitz, « The Advanced Materials Revolution », John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2009
Market Potential for specific KETs
Source: Background study; Confindustria (2009)
Investment willingness for VAMs –
all sectors
ICT
11 %
Transport
7%
Energy
39 %
Health
19 %
Environment
24 %
Source: Oxford Research AS. Percentage calculated from averages based on values of portfolio allocation
Market
growth
others
23 %
others energy
10 %
10% transport
9%
energy
7%
others
4%
ICT
29%
ICT
25%
environment
26 %
health
20%
2020
total value
186 billion euro
health
27%
transport
environm
9%
ent
24%
2008
total value
100 billion euro
energy
16%
others
13 %
transport
5%
energy
12%
transport
8%
ICT
22%
environment
32 %
ICT
14%
health
10%
2050
total value
1098 billion euro
environment
28 %
health
17%
2030
total value
316 billion euro
Materials vital for technology development
• Materials research and control over materials resources
is becoming increasingly important in the current
global competition for industrial leadership in lowcarbon technologies.
• A Materials Roadmap for Energy Technologies is an
important step forward - this is the first time such an
exercise is done at EU Level and it will be of great
significance for the development of low-carbon
technologies.
Roadmaps on Materials for the SET-Plan
• Based on 11 scientific assessments which show
that materials are at the core of technological
developments
• 11 technologies covered: wind, solar PV, solar CSP,
geothermal , electricity grids, storage, bioenergy,
CCS, nuclear fission, H2&FCs, energy efficient
materials for buildings
• Focus on material R&D+I for low-carbon energy
technologies for the next 10 years with market
implementation horizons for 2020/2030 and 2050
Roadmaps Structure
Set of Key Performance Indicators
• Built around 3 main interlinked headings organized to
reflect the timeline from discovery to market roll-out,
as follows:
 Heading 1 – Materials R&D and related product
development, focused on a comprehensive research
program
 Heading 2 – Materials and components technologies
with pilot actions for materials processing & technology
testing at industrial scale
 Heading 3 – Supporting Research Infrastructures
focused on research-enabling platforms
Outcome
• The Materials Roadmap is a comprehensive analysis
which resulted in:

11 scientific assessments

More than 50 material classes to be developed or
further improved

About 60 manufacturing processes proposed

More than 20 research facilities covered

13 fields with synergies among technologies
Synergies
•
Several material classes are common to more than one
technology.
A broad range of activities proposed are of similar
nature calling upon similar research and industrial
capacities.
Leveraging commonalities and synergies is of critical
importance for the implementation of the Roadmap:
•
•

Realisation of economies of scale and scope;

Pooling of cross-technology knowledge;

Integration of innovative materials into low-carbon energy
technologies.
Buildings
Nuclear fission
Hydrogen and fuel cells
Carbon capture and storage
Bioenergy
Electricity grids
Electricity storage
Geothermal energy
Concentrated Solar Power
Photovoltaic
Wind energy
Structural materials
Fibre reinforced materials
Synergies
X
X
High
temperature,
low
temperature and corrosion- X
resistant materials
X
X
X
X
X
Structural steel components and
X
related joining techniques
X
X
X
X
X
Advanced concretes
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Functional materials
Separation membranes
Catalyst and electrolytes
X
X
X
X
Solid catalyst, sorbents and O2
carriers
X
X
X
X
High
temperature
X
superconducting materials
X
High temperature heat storage
materials
X
(High temperature) insulating
materials
X
Materials for power electronics
X
X
X
Heat transfer fluids
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Manufacturing techniques
Coatings and coating techniques
X
X
Condition monitoring techniques X
X
X
T0
T0+3
T0+10
An example - Wind
R&D on blade fibre reinforced, sandwich core, adhesives/bonding materials and coatings, including
micro and macro testing techniques, monitoring techniques and manufacturing methods
Blade
Materials
Manufacturing of large
blades (>100m) for > 12 MW
turbines
Manufacturing of concept
of blades at MW scale
weight reduction >50%
Automated production
techniques in a MW scale
blade production line
Tower and
support
structure
materials
Cast
iron
components
Generator
materials
and power
electronics
Transmission
materials
Supporting
research
infrastructure
Improved blade material properties,
cost competitive core materials > 30 % lighter
and reduced blade
production cycle times to 50%
blade 50% weight reduction
R&D on strength steels (high gauge, high toughness …) and related welding technology ,
development of protection methods and coatings
and on concrete for monopiles and gravity based support structure for deep water applications
Improved steel properties
and concrete support structure
feasible up to 50 m deep water
Testing of a gravity based support
structure for large water depth
(40-50 m) for turbine size > 5 MW
R&D on foundry technology manufacturing processes for dross–free ductile iron,
and on light weight composites to replace cast iron components
Weight reduction in cast iron
components >25%
(50% with composites)
Manufacturing of light weight
composite hub, bedplate or generator
-gearbox housing at MW class
R&D on permanent magnet materials (including reduction of rare earth use), high temperature
superconducting materials for large MW turbines and new materials for power electronics and converters
Testing of a HTS generator
at MW class
Magnet power density: 360-500 kJ/m3
Superconducting wire cost: 30$/kA-m
Increased junction temperature at
225°C of power electronics
R&D on metal alloys for shaft, gears and bearing including steels with low non-metallic inclusions, measuring
and detections techniques, surface coatings and on non-metal issues such as new lubricants,
paints, hot and cold climate conditions and sealants
Effective lifetime of the
transmission components
equal to the design lifetime
(nowadays mostly 20 years)
2 facilities: a trans- European research field network facilitators and at least one test rig
(for testing of > 10 MW drive train units in overload, at full scale and
realistic conditions)
An example - Wind
•
A comprehensive R&D program on blade materials; the
development of new coatings; steel with enhanced properties for
tower and support structures and related welding techniques;
improvement of foundry technologies for dross-free ductile/light
iron; materials used in generator, power electronics and
transmission.
•
4 industrial manufacturing pilots to scale-up the material
development to industrial scales: blades at MW scale; lightweight
hub, bedplate or generator gearbox to design, produce and test
large blades.
•
2 technology pilots to test gravity based support structure for
large water depth and demonstrate a HTS generator at full scale.
•
Creation of Trans-European research field network facilitators to
accelerate industrial development and the up-take of research
results.
Recommendations for implementation
• Need to be implemented within the SET-Plan
(EIIs/EERA)
• Need for critical mass of capacity and resources

Programmatic document for both EU and MSs

Base for partnership with Industry
• Importance of cross-cutting activities (standardization,
supply of critical raw materials, resources sustainability,
education and training)
• An evolving roadmap: new sectors (e.g. ocean,
renewable heating and cooling etc)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Brussels, 13.12.2011
SEC(2011) 1609 final
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER
Materials Roadmap Enabling Low Carbon Energy Technologies
http://setis.ec.europa.eu/newsroom-items-folder/materials-roadmap-enabling-low-carbon-energy-technologies-published