Hydrogen-Ammonia and Renewable Energy MOdelling & Integration: a Nexus for the Cement Industry

Europe’s climate neutrality targets demand deep decarbonisation of high-temperature process industries (HTPIs) such as cement, steel, glass, and ceramics. These sectors, which provide over 770,000 skilled jobs, face a dual challenge: their thermal energy demand cannot be met by direct electrification, and they face rapidly increasing costs under the EU Emissions Trading System as free allowances are phased out. Cement production is particularly exposed, with CO2 emissions from both fuel combustion and calcination. Without breakthrough innovations, EU industries risk losing competitiveness to global producers with lower costs and weaker climate regulation.HARMONI proposes a systemic solution: recycled ammonia as a dynamic renewable energy carrier to couple intermittent renewable electricity to the continuous, high-temperature demands of cement plants, transforming them into intelligent energy hubs. The project will develop four integrated innovations: (1) a dual ammonia cracking system combining thermocatalytic and electrochemical reactors to produce H2-NH₃ fuel blends; (2) a zero-carbon combustion system to convert the resulting fuel blends into heat energy; (3) a circular ammonia recovery loop from wastewater; and (4) an AI-enabled human-in-the-loop recommendation system for energy optimisation and grid balancing. The component technologies will be independently validated and then digitally integrated in a process model which will be used to evaluate overall technical, environmental and economic viability.The consortium unites leading RTOs (SINTEF, VITO, CETAQUA, IDENER), universities (Nottingham, Imperial, UPC), SMEs (AFC Energy, Iconiq, ETA), and large industrial partners, including the global cement giant, CEMEX, and municipal wastewater management company, Aguas de Alicante (ADA), to validate the technologies, demonstrate integration in a digital process model, and build an investment-grade business case.