“Time is the biggest challenge”

“The challenges of improving energy efficiency in the industry and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are great”, says Task XVII Manager Frank Lipnizki. “And the biggest challenge  is probably time.”

IETS Task XVII – Membrane Processes in Biorefineries – first started in 2014 and has continued to deliver and develop new scopes since then. Currently, almost 25 organisations from industry and academia/institutes in eight countries collaborate in five Subtasks.

“Membrane technologies can substantially increase opportunities for creating zero and negative emission systems in e. g. the pulp and paper industry and biorefineries as highlighted during the excellent Energy Future in Industry 2023 conference”, says Professor Lipnizki. “Unfortunately, the process of decision making, and research, requires time and there is a risk that we are too slow making the radical change in industrial processes and utility systems required.”

On 7 december, a successful online workshop titled  “New Membrane Developments” was held in connection to the last Task meeting of the year. The workshop was attended by more than 50 participants and all partner countries were well represented in subsequent Task meeting, discussing the Task plans for 2024.

“I am really looking forward to continuing in working together with the excellent team of industrial and scientific partners in Task XVII and we plan to involve even further partners. A highlight will hopefully be the first physical Task meeting after COVID to be organized in due of 2024. It will be an exciting year”, concludes Frank Lipnizki.