The main objectives of the Ccmnunity's energy policy consist of securing a sufficient energy supply for the present and future demand of its Member States and in reducing the Community's dependence on imported energy through the more rational use of energy and a broader diversifi­ cation of supply. This requires a full set of common efforts at all levels, including energy research and development. In the framework of its strategy for scientific and technological research the Commission of the European Ccmnunities has launched several R & D progranunes in the field of energy. Theses progranunes are :inplemented either directly in its Joint Research Centre or by concluding contracts with research institutions in the EC Member countries. One of the most inportant short and medil.UR term objectives of the present four-year Energy R & D Progranune (1979 - 1983) approved by the Council of Ministers on 13 September 1979 aims at fostering energy conservation technologies in the three main energy consl.Uning sectors: danestic, industry and transport. In the European Carmunity more than 35% of the energy is conslB'IIed in industry. About 23% of the inported oil is used in this sector. Two thirds of this energy are used for heating purposes. Consequently, there is a high potential for residuary heat recovery. In order to enhance rational use of energy and energy conservation in the Member States of the Ccmnunity, it is necessary, anong other things, to promote the development of combustion and energy recovery techniques.

Efficiency of reverberatory furnaces.- Improvements of recuperators associated to steel slab furnaces.- Improved boiler control in food factories.- Development of a high temperature heat pipe heat exchanger for recovery of residual heat.- Heat transfer, vapor-liquid flow interaction and materials compatibility in two-phase thermosyphons.- Design, building and testing of a novel modular gas-gas ceramic heat exchanger for exhaust heat recovery around 1200°C.- Compact gas-gas heat exchanger.- The evaporation of viscose process liquors by flow energy means.- Aluminium melting furnace heat regeneration project.- Design of waste heat boilers for the recovery of energy from arc furnace waste gases.- Energy recovery from cast iron melting furnaces.- Industrial waste heat recovery by use of organic rankine cycles (ORC).- Medium temperature 100 KW ORC engine for total energy systems.- Optimisation of a multi-vane expander as the prime mover in an organic rankine cycle.- Confirmation of the advantages of a thermodynamic cycle using sulfur with the help of an experimental facility.- Energy cascading combined with thermal energy storage in industry.