Hellisheiði (Iceland) 2020 - The geodesic dome covering the injection well of Carbfix in Hellisheiði geothermal power plant. Fighting climate change also means achieving negative emissions by removing billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. The Carbfix process sends brine water mixed with carbon dioxide pulled from the air into deep bedrock at a depth of about 500m, where the CO2 can turn rapidly into minerals. The method can be used near emission sources also in other parts of the world too. By January 2024 this plant had fixed over 120,000 tonnes of CO2.
Reykjanesbaer (Iceland) 2020 - An operator runs a routine check of the photobioreactor at the Algalif facilities in Reykjanesbaer, Iceland. Algalif is one of the top European biotech startups that grows micro-algae to produce astaxanthin, a food supplement with antioxidant properties. The Algalif plant is fully sustainable: it uses 100% clean geothermal energy and the process is carbon negative since carbon dioxide is reused to feed microalgae in a cycle that turns waste into value.
Hellisheidi (Iceland) 2020 - Kristinn Haflidason, CEO of Algaennovation, monitors one of their photobioreactors in the micro-algae production facility, at ON’s Geothermal Park in Hellisheidi. Algaennovation uses water and electricity from the nearby Hellisheidi geothermal power plant and exploits carbon dioxide emissions in a process that turns waste to value in a sustainable manner. Their proprietary technology for micro-algae cultivation enables Algaennovation to have negative carbon footprints and use less than 1% of freshwater and land areas used by conventional small-scale algae companies.
Ferrara (Italy) 2021 - A worker is harvesting tomatoes in the greenhouse of H2Orto, Ostellato, Ferrara. In the greenhouse, high-efficiency LED lights are used to allow winter production, ensuring all-year-round tomato harvesting. The site applies a system of circular economy and uses 100% green energy provided by the nearby biogas plant. Tomatoes are grown in a controlled environment, safeguarded from external pollutants, therefore there is no need for herbicides and glyphosates.
Paris (France) 2021 - An aerial view of Nature Urbaine roof farm in Paris, France. Nature Urbaine has recently opened the world's largest urban farm on the rooftop of Paris Expo’s Pavillon 6, covering an area of 14,000 square meters. Nature Urbaine is supplying local residents and neighbour hotels and restaurants with a km0 sustainable vegetable production. Roof farming is a clean, productive and sustainable model of agriculture that can make a real contribution to the social, economic and environmental resilience of the big cities where most Europeans now live.
Nesle (France) 2021 - Black soldier flies at Innovafeed production site, in Nesle, France. Insect production is a pioneering and innovative industry for providing novel sustainable feeding. Innovafeed has developed a proprietary method for large-scale automated production, while respecting the natural life cycle of insects. The company has estimated that each ton of fishmeal replaced by insect proteins saves 660kg of CO2, while each ton of vegetable oil replaced by insect oil can save at least 3800m2 of arable land and 1200kg of CO2 and has no impact on deforestation.
Copenhagen (Denmark) 2021 - A biotechnician in Nordic Harvest laboratory, in Copenaghen, Denmark. Nordic Harvest is the largest and most efficient indoor vertical farm in Europe. The farm produces on-site microbial bio-fertilizers made from fermented plant waste.
Les Mees (France) 2022 - Les Mees solar park in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, France. The plant is seamlessly integrated in the mountain landscape. The plant generates 35,000MWh electricity and supplies enough clean energy to power 12,000 households, offsetting 40,000t of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) a year.
Copenhagen (Denmark) 2021 - The combined heat-and-power waste-to-energy power plant Amager Bakke in the industrial outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. Amager Bakke is the world's cleanest waste-to-energy facility and it also hosts a recreational area called CopenHill with its own ski slope, the world's tallest climbing wall and hiking trails up the building. Opened in October 2019, the building was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (aka BIG) with the aim at creating a building that can "contribute positively to the city, become part of the city, and even to be a landmark of the capital". The plant serves 680,000 people and takes waste from up to 300 lorries each day.
Ferrara (Italy) 2021 - The greenhouse of H2Orto (a company of Fri-El group) in Ostellato, Ferrara, Italy. The site applies the principles of circular economy and uses 100% green energy provided by the nearby biogas plant. Tomatoes are grown in a controlled environment, safeguarded from external pollutants, with no need for herbicides and glyphosates. At the end of the life cycle, plants become the fuel for the biogas plant that powers the greenhouse. Rainwater is collected and reused for irrigation, and a reduction of 70% water usage compared to traditional crops is obtained thanks to the hydroponic growing method.
Ferrara (Italy) 2021 - An aerial view of the greenhouse of H2Orto, in Ostellato, Ferrara, Italy. The company grows tomatoes in a sustainable way thanks to innovative technology and the use of the circular economy. High-efficiency LED lights are used in the greenhouse to enable winter production and ensure year-round tomato harvesting. This hydroponic cultivation allows the same yield with one-tenth of the cultivated area used by traditional agriculture, greatly reducing the environmental impact.
Barcelona (Spain) 2021 - The 3D printing system at Novameat laboratories, in Barcelona, Spain. Novameat has developed an innovative micro-extrusion technology to produce plant-based meat that perfectly mimics the texture and appearance of a real cut of meat. As cattle and livestock have an enormous footprint on the environment, alternative meat solutions are crucial to decrease the need for land, water, energy and reduce the emissions coming from animal farming.
Hellisheidi (Iceland) 2020 - Kristinn Haflidason, CEO of Algaennovation, monitors one of their photobioreactors in the micro-algae production facility, at ON’s Geothermal Park in Hellisheidi. Algaennovation uses water and electricity from the nearby Hellisheidi geothermal power plant and exploits carbon dioxide emissions in a process that turns waste to value in a sustainable manner. Their proprietary technology for micro-algae cultivation enables Algaennovation to have negative carbon footprints and use less than 1% of freshwater and land areas used by conventional small-scale algae companies.
Catania (Italy) 2021 - Enel Green Power’s “sun factory”, 3SUN in Catania, Italy. The facility is the only one in Europe to produce the latest bifacial photovoltaic modules in Hetero Junction Technology. This innovative technology guarantees high performance and low degradation of the module, and ensures solar photovoltaic panels have the highest efficiency, an increased production and longest life expectancy.
Seville (Spain) 2021 - The concentrated solar power plant of Gemasolar in Fuentes de Andalucía in the province of Seville, Spain. Gemasolar is the first commercial plant in the world able to provide a full day of uninterrupted power supply to the grid. It uses the high temperature tower receiver together with molten salt thermal storage of very long duration. The system stores the excess thermal energy produced during daylight hours and provides the energy required to ensure the plant can remain operational for up to 15 hours without sunlight.
Bifröst (Iceland) 2020 - Hrefna, a volunteer of the Icelandic forest service (IFS). The country lost most of its trees more than a thousand years ago, when Vikings settlers harvested the forests to build their homes and boats and as fuel. As climate change has become a greater concern, Iceland’s leaders have viewed reforestation as a way to help the country meet its climate goals. Volunteers assist the forest associations by planting seedlings and by fertilising young trees. Thanks to the reforestation initiatives more than three million were planted in recent years.
Krafla (Iceland) 2020 - Wells and pipes in Krafla geothermal power station, in northern Iceland. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source with a low environmental impact compared to fossil fuel power plants. The exploitation of geothermal resources may lead to greenhouse gas emissions, but all carbon emissions from the Krafla Power Station are substantially reduced by reinjecting them back into the geothermal wells to ensure the least impact on the environment.
Torino (Italy) 2021 - The waste collection chamber of the new cogeneration and waste-to-energy plant built by IREN in Turin, Italy. This low carbon emission plant powers the largest district-heating network in Italy, serving almost 9000 buildings and 880,000 citizens. This cogeneration plant will save 135,000 tons of CO2 each year.
Catania (Italy) 2021 - The clean room where photovoltaic modules are produced at 3SUN facilities, Catania, Italy. 3SUN bifacial photovoltaic modules are built with Hetero Junction Technology which uses both amorphous and crystalline silicon. These PV modules also collect the solar radiation from the back side, which enables an efficiency of more than 20% and a nominal power of 400W.
Copenhagen (Denmark) 2021 - A view of Middelgrunden offshore wind farm from Amager Strand, a very popular beach in Copenhagen. The wind farm was developed thanks to a Cooperative with a the strong involvement of the local community in the planning phase and as investors. Now 8.552 electricity consumers, private citizens and small companies, are co-owners of the wind farm. Middelgrunden wind farm is producing electricity for more than 40,000 households in Copenhagen. Private individuals have played an important role in the development of Denmark into a strong wind nation from the very beginning and till today, when 14.4% of Danish electricity consumption is provided by the wind. More than 150,000 Danish families are members of wind turbine cooperatives.