Eco-innovation goes beyond simple improvements in technology. It encompasses a global vision that incorporates economic, environmental and societal criteria into technological development. CEA-Liten has been honing its skills in techno-economics since 2004, and in Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) since 2010. Since then, we have been conducting techno-economic and LCA assessments to determine the economic and environmental performance of the many technologies developed at the institute, and to systematically integrate a drive for better environmental performance into the development phase. Today, the Institute is made up of around forty people who use specialist tools and methods to support research teams right from the project set-up phase, on the institute's key technological building blocks. To this end, CEA-Liten has developed synergies in a range of skills, which have transformed our research practices. Since 2022, our eco-innovation teams have also been working on social LCA. This recent methodology, which originated in 2009, is used to assess both positive and negative social impacts.
The tools and methods now available provide support in three key areas. The first involves assessing the (eco or environmental) performance of technology. The second is based on eco-design, with the aim of reducing its impact. The final area focuses on eco-innovation to drive disruptive innovation through optimised environmental and economic performance.
Examples of eco-innovation projects at CEA-Liten :
An eco-designed electric motor
CEA-Liten worked in collaboration with IFPEN to develop an innovative, eco-designed electric motor. The magnets in this motor are designed to facilitate their recovery and recycling at the end of the motor's life cycle. One major challenge was reducing the amount of rare-earth metals used without compromising performance. An additive manufacturing process called Power Injection Moulding was introduced to produce magnets in the precise shape required, without the need for machining, thus minimising critical material loss. The LCA teams were on hand to support this development throughout the project.
A low-carbon photovoltaic panel
Our laboratories have designed a photovoltaic panel prototype with an exceptional carbon footprint of 317 kgCO2e/kWp, far below the standard products on the market. This panel was produced using heterojunction technology, optimised through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) from the design stage. This approach helped focus our efforts on the most critical aspects of the panel's carbon footprint, in particular, the silicon wafers, glass front panel and aluminium frame. This resulted in a high-performance panel with a power output of 566 Wp and an average efficiency of 22.9%, placing our laboratories among the very best in Europe.
Reducing the impact of high-temperature electrolysers
As part of our partnership with Genvia, we have been working on the industrial manufacture of high-temperature electrolysers to produce low-carbon hydrogen. Through life-cycle assessment, eco-innovation workshops and the development of a specific evaluation tool, our partner has now implemented an eco-innovation approach from the design phase, which will enable to reduce the technology's impact by adapting its design and the manufacturing processes involved. To take this a step further, we have now begun assessing the societal impact of this technology.
Driving the energy transition is essential to address the realities of climate change. CEA-Liten is a central cog in this transition, and the technologies we develop must be sustainable, in line with our mission as part of the CEA. We have acquired the technical skills needed in R&D to work towards this goal. We thus create real added value for our partners, and for the European research ecosystem as a whole. We are also demonstrating our commitment by contributing to the drafting of best practice guides, and through our work at French and European level to effect regulatory change (photovoltaics, batteries, etc.). Through all of these actions, we are promoting the adoption of sustainable practices and championing European industry, while ensuring our sovereignty.