JOHN COCKERILL

Their core work

John Cockerill is a major Belgian industrial group specializing in energy equipment, industrial process technologies, and large-scale engineering solutions. In H2020, they contribute industrial-grade hardware and process expertise across concentrated solar power systems, CO2 capture from industrial flue gases, and electrochemical steelmaking. Their role is typically as the industrial equipment manufacturer or process integrator who brings pilot-scale and demonstration-ready technology to research consortia. They bridge the gap between laboratory concepts and deployable industrial systems, particularly in decarbonizing heavy industry and advancing solar thermal energy.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2016-2018), John Cockerill focused on modular solar concentrator designs (MOSAIC), tidal turbine industrialization (OCTTIC), and CO2-free steelmaking through electrowinning (SIDERWIN) — a broad exploration of clean energy and industrial process alternatives. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened decisively toward CO2 capture and advanced solar thermal systems, with projects on industrial-scale CCS in Dunkirk (3D), high-temperature thermal storage (HIFLEX), and supercritical CO2 power cycles (COMPASsCO2). The trajectory shows a company converging on two clear bets: decarbonizing existing heavy industry through carbon capture, and next-generation solar thermal with advanced heat transfer and storage.

John Cockerill is moving toward industrial-scale decarbonization solutions, combining CCS deployment with advanced solar thermal systems using supercritical CO2 cycles — expect future work at this intersection.

How they like to work

John Cockerill operates predominantly as a participant (5 of 6 projects), bringing industrial manufacturing and process engineering capability to research-led consortia rather than driving the research agenda themselves. With 65 unique partners across 17 countries, they work in large, diverse European consortia — typical for demonstration-scale energy projects. Their single coordination (OCTTIC, a smaller project at EUR 366K) suggests they prefer contributing specialized industrial expertise to ambitious multi-partner projects rather than managing consortium logistics.

With 65 unique consortium partners spanning 17 countries, John Cockerill has built a broad European network concentrated in energy and industrial decarbonization research. Their partnerships reflect the large-scale demonstration projects they join, connecting them with research institutions, utilities, and industrial players across Western and Southern Europe.

What sets them apart

John Cockerill stands out as one of few large industrial equipment manufacturers actively engaged in H2020 energy research — most participants are universities or SMEs. Their value lies in bringing real manufacturing capacity and industrial process integration to projects that need to move beyond the lab. For consortium builders, they offer what few partners can: the ability to design, build, and test industrial-grade components (heat exchangers, solar receivers, capture columns) within a research project timeline.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SIDERWIN
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 997K) targeting CO2-free steel production through electrowinning — a radical departure from conventional steelmaking with high industrial impact.
• 3D
  Full-chain CCS demonstration at an operating steel plant in Dunkirk, connecting CO2 capture from blast furnace gas to North Sea storage — one of Europe's flagship industrial CCS projects.
• COMPASsCO2
  Pushes the frontier of solar power by combining concentrated solar with supercritical CO2 Brayton cycles and novel particle-based heat exchangers.