The European Commission has recently allocated €172 million to support 13 research and innovation projects that, focusing on the REPowerEU goals, will contribute to achieving energy independence throughout the European Union.
Published on 18 May 2022, REPowerEU is the strategic plan implemented by the EU Commission to address the upheavals that affected the global energy market following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The aim is making Europe gradually independent from the import of Russian fossil fuels by supporting affordable, secure and sustainable energy through three pillars: to ramp up the production of green energy, to diversify local energy supplies and to reduce the internal demand of fossil gas, coal and oil. The plan also includes a strong research and innovation component in order to accelerate the achievement of these goals, by further developing the technologies that facilitate this.
What do the 13 projects chosen by the Commission focus on? These projects, selected following calls published in March and April 2023, under Cluster 5 of Horizon Europe (Climate, Energy & Mobility), cover three REPowerEU goals: sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply; efficient, sustainable and inclusive energy use and clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes.
The selected projects are grouped based on their goals and ultimate solutions as follows:
- Renewable Energy Valleys development: 2 projects, located in Greece and the Netherlands supported by an EU contribution of €39.5 million, understood as decentralized renewable energy systems that will help accelerate the green transition in Europe and enhance security and autonomy of local and regional energy supply.
- Development of a digital twin: 1 project worth €20 million aimed at the creation of a tool to improve the management, operation and resilience of the EU electricity system by integrating higher shares of renewable energies.
- Demonstration of innovative, large-scale, seasonal heat and/or cooling storage technologies for decarbonization and security of supply: 3 projects supported by the Commission with €29 million.
- Innovative solutions for the cost-effective decarbonization of buildings through energy efficiency and electrification: 2 projects supported by an EU contribution of €24.5 million in line with the “Electrify Europe” track of REPowerEU.
- Hydrogen-powered aviation: 3 projects supported by an EU contribution of €22.5 million aimed at accelerating the scheduling in view of 2035, by when the EU should have put in place an adequate ground-based refuelling and supply system for liquid hydrogen at air transport ground infrastructures.
- Demonstrations to accelerate the switch to safe use of new sustainable climate neutral fuels in waterborne transport: 3 projects supported by an EU contribution of €36.5 million that is crucial to facilitate the wide adoption of sustainable fuels at large scale.
