Iberdrola is seeking new and innovative solutions to help decarbonise the industrial sector, either through design automation, further integration of clean technologies or energy efficiency measures.

It has launched the ‘Emission-Free Industrial Heat Challenge’ via its International Startup Programme – PERSEO, which aims to facilitate Iberdrola’s access to the technologies of the future and promote the creation and development of a global and dynamic ecosystem of technology companies and entrepreneurs in the electricity sector.

The challenge, in collaboration with the European Innovation Council’s Energy4Planet initiative, is looking for ad-hoc solutions for factories, such as improving the efficiency of the energy used while reducing carbon emissions “in a sustainable and cost-effective manner”.

The proposals will be analysed based on scalability, replicability, ease of implementation and integration of ad-hoc decarbonisation solutions for industrial plants.

The prize will consist of a collaboration agreement for the development of a proof-of-concept with PERSEO or with any other relevant Iberdrola group company, which will assume the costs and provide the winner with the necessary technical support, giving access to infrastructure and real data to test the solution.

If the proof-of-concept is satisfactory, Iberdrola may offer the winner the opportunity to scale up the solution, with the potential for PERSEO to invest in the participant.