START

About: From steel and food production to electronics, manufacturing processes and machines generate heat, which should not be wasted and lost. The EU-funded START project will capture and directly convert waste heat into electric power. This will be achieved by developing sustainable thermoelectric (TE) systems, with the further added value of exploiting European mine wastes for the TE materials, thus bypassing the supply of critical raw materials from third countries. Overall, the START concept represents a major opportunity to improve the overall energy efficiency and to increase resource productivity and reduce resource dependence and waste, in line with the objectives of the Green Deal and the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan.

Duration: 1 June 2022 - 31 May 2026