SULPHURREAL

The SULPHURREAL project demonstrates an innovative approach to the direct storage of concentrated solar energy in solid elemental sulphur. The basic idea is to use concentrated solar energy to cyclically drive a series of chemical reactions that interconvert sulphuric acid and sulphur. The cycle can also be operated using sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) and sulphur feedstocks from existing large-scale industrial processes.

Sulphur, the ninth most abundant element on Earth, is a significant by-product of natural gas desulphurisation in the oil industry. Approximately 70 million tonnes of sulphur are produced annually, mostly as a by-product of crude oil and natural gas processing. Sulphuric acid, on the other hand, is the world’s most widely produced chemical. It serves as a vital raw material for numerous industries, including fertilisers, explosives, dyes, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.

ΙΤΙ-CERTH will lead the development of an advanced AI-powered Digital Twin (DT) for the integrated process flowsheet, delivering a next-generation virtual environment for process intelligence, optimization, and decision support. The Digital Twin will seamlessly integrate advanced process models with dynamic data connection interfaces, enabling real-time, multi-scale monitoring, analysis, and predictive insights.

In addition to the DT, ITI-CERTH will also deliver an intuitive visual analytics platform that transforms complex process data into actionable intelligence through AI-driven analysis, interactive visualization, and user-centric interfaces.

Consortium

Deutsches Zentrum Fur Luft – Und Raumfahrt EV (DLR), Germany
Ethniko Kentro Erevnas kai Technologikis Anaptyxis, Greece
Agenzia Nazionale Per Le Nuove Tecnologie, L’energia E Lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA), Italy
Karlsruher Institut Fuer Technologie (KIT), Germany
Panepistimio Patron (UPAT), Greece
The Provost, Fellows, Foundation Scholars & The Other Members Of Board, Of The College Of The Holy & Undivided Trinity Of Queen Elizabeth Near Dublin (TCD), Ireland
Rise Research Institutes of Sweden AB (RISE), Sweden
Exomatter GMBH (EXM), Sweden
Saint-Gobain Centre De Recherches Et D’etudes Europeen (SG), France