European Green Deal Call is launched

The European Commission has launched a €1 billion call for Research and Innovation (R&I) projects to reduce carbon emissions by 2050.

The European Green Deal Call will be part of the Horizon 2020 (H2020) programme. According to the Commission it differs in important aspects from previous Horizon 2020 calls. This call aims for projects with clear, discernible results in the short to medium-term. The call has eight thematic areas that reflect the key work streams of the European Green Deal.

Clean, affordable and secure energy is one of the top priorities. To decarbonise Europe, clean renewable power must become the main source of energy. According to the European Commission’s Long-term Decarbonisation Strategy, Europe will need 1,200 GW of wind capacity in 2050 up from 190 GW in 2019. This requires significant investments in wind energy R&I.

The H2020 Green Deal Call is in line with the ETIPWind recommendations and puts the focus on large-scale deployment of offshore renewable energy. It dedicates €68 million to support offshore renewables and system integration. Offshore projects must cover innovation in power generation technologies and could include new solutions to grid infrastructure and power transmission. Projects can apply for up to €35 million in support. In addition, there is €18 million for renewable heat solutions, €60 million to demonstrate a 100 MW hydrogen electrolyser and €40 million to support deployment of renewables in Africa available. There’s also €80 million to decarbonise industrial processes.

Last week ETIPWind ran a workshop about the R&I needs to scale up offshore technology and successfully install and operate these large volumes of offshore wind. See what our experts discussed here.

The deadline for submissions in the European Green Deal Call is 26 January 2021. The winning projects are expected to start in autumn 2021.