European Chemical Industry News & Insights

EU Innovation Fund Awards Climate Action Projects

At a glance
  • The EU Innovation Fund allocated EUR 1.1 billion to 7 projects for climate action.
  • Grant agreements for these projects were signed in March 2022.
  • The second call for large-scale projects launched on 26 October 2021 with a budget of EUR 1.5 billion.
  • 138 applications were received by the 3 March 2022 deadline.

EU Innovation Fund Overview

The EU Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programs aimed at demonstrating innovative technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Its goal is to bring industrial solutions to market between 2020 and 2030, supporting Europe’s transition to climate neutrality.

First Call for Large-Scale Projects

In the latest round, 311 projects applied for funding, and seven were selected to share the EUR 1.1 billion allocated. The results were published on 16 November 2021, and the grant agreements were signed in March 2022. These projects focus on energy-intensive industries, hydrogen, renewable energy, and carbon capture, use, and storage.

Selected Projects

The selected projects include initiatives in biofuels and biorefineries, chemicals, iron and steel, cement and lime, hydrogen, solar energy, and CO2 capture and storage. Each project aims to bring breakthrough technologies to market, contributing to significant reductions in carbon emissions.

Best Practices and Statistics

Documents consolidating best practices and common mistakes from the 2020 calls for proposals are available to support applicants. Additionally, relevant statistics on proposals submitted in the first call for large-scale projects are provided.

Second Call for Large-Scale Projects

The second call for large-scale projects was launched on 26 October 2021, with a budget of EUR 1.5 billion, a 50% increase from the previous call. This call aims to finance breakthrough technologies in renewable energy, energy-intensive industries, energy storage, and carbon capture, use, and storage. The deadline for full applications was 3 March 2022, and 138 applications were received. Evaluation results will be provided in the third quarter of 2022, with grants awarded in the last quarter of 2022.

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