Tools for a climate-neutral industry: Reasearch project »ZO.RRO« (Zero Carbon Cross Energy System)

The energy research project ZO.RRO (Zero Carbon Cross Energy System) has been working on the decarbonization of the energy supply in small and medium sized industrial companies (SMEs) since 2019. A successful conceptual phase (2019–2022) was followed by the state project ZO.RRO II SME under the joint leadership of Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and the ThEEN Innovation Cluster. The project received the funding decision from the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Nature Conservation and Forestry (TMUENF) for around 2 million euros on May 23, 2022.

The current second project phase enables the ZO.RRO II team to develop and implement lighthouse projects in form of demonstrators together with the industry partners from phase 1 until July 2026. The aim is to calculate realistic future scenarios for a climate-neutral energy supply for the entire Free State of Thuringia and specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises in Thuringian industry (SMEs). These pilot projects will ultimately result in a valuable transfer of knowledge for the Thuringian economy and beyond. The core of the project is the development and testing of digital tools that support SMEs on the path to climate neutrality (Read article ZO.RRO Tools).

In addition, ThEEN acts as a communication office for both ZO.RRO II SMEs and the joint project ZO.RRO 2 for Glass Industry with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The aim of the ZO.RRO 2 project, led by the Technische Universität Ilmenau, is to show how a highly available, sustainable and economical electrical energy supply can be implemented using the Thuringian glass industry and metal processing industry as an example.

Following the extension of the project duration of the state project, ThEEN also promotes the structured exchange between companies and relevant multipliers using change management methods in order to support the implementation of the future scenarios developed. A variety of event formats and communication channels are used to strengthen cooperation, initiate knowledge transfer and develop support services.

Every year, the latest research results are presented and widely discussed at the ZO.RRO II conference. Industry can be climate-neutral!