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ePaper created 2014-05-07, 13:23:14 | version 1.30.01
ENVIRONMENT 109 Dipl.-Ing. Siegfried Egner In the context of worldwide discussion on the greenhouse effect, the switch to renewable en- ergy and the scarcity of resources, resource-efficient industrial processing and environmental protection are more important then ever. Interdisciplinary by nature, these tasks require exten- sive R&D – which is where we come in. The Fraunhofer IGB’s Environment business area stands for a variety of technological developments that contribute toward technological progress and economic success on the one hand but which simultaneously help to prevent negative environ- mental impacts – thus reconciling economic and ecological sustainability. Typically, tasks and approaches in the Environment business area are strongly linked with topics in the Energy and Chemistry business areas. In the framework of joint European and national projects with partners from research and industry, the Fraunhofer IGB is developing processes and system components which help to protect the environment as well as to recover materials and substances for recycling efficiently to prevent drawing from natural resources. Examples are the innovative DEUS 21 infrastructure concept for semi-decentralized energy and water management and research into how to avoid the emission of particulate or dissolved persis- tent micro-pollutants. In order to improve the quality of secondary raw materials and make them competitive with virgin materials, we are developing new treatment processes by which dissolved mixtures can be selectively separated on a molecular or atomic level. The capability to recover substances from agro-industrial residuals or from municipal wastewater treatment plants in the direct form of high-quality fertilizer and soil conditioner spells an opportunity to reduce the consumption of both material and energy resources. Another example is the re- generative production of algae biomass for material and energetic utilization. The fixation of carbon dioxide not only spares the climate, but also yields high quality raw materials, such as for cosmetics or organic crop protection. To prove the sustainability of the products and processes developed by the Fraunhofer IGB, we carry out systematic analysis of all environmental impacts of a product during its life cycle – from production via use to its disposal. We perform this “ecobalance” known as life cycle as- sessment in conjunction with various specialized partners. More complex projects in the Environment business area are carried out by interdisciplinary teams drawn from the natural sciences and engineering. Participation in the Fraunhofer Build- ing Innovation Alliance, Cleaning Technology Alliance, and Water Systems (SysWater) Alliance, as well as in the national technology platform SusChem Deutschland, gives the Fraunhofer IGB access to further expertise, as do its excellent networking activities at an international level, particularly within Europe.