Non-Li Sustainable Batteries with European Supply Chains for Stationary Storage (Batt4EU Partnership)
HORIZON Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-02
- Programme
- Cross-sectoral solutions for the climate transition
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Closed (31094503)
- Opening Date
- December 6, 2023
- Deadline
- April 17, 2024
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €21,000,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €7,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €7,000,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 3
- Keywords
- HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-02HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01Energy storage
Description
Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:
- A European economic base which is stronger, more resilient, competitive and fit for the green and digital transitions, by reducing strategic dependencies for critical raw materials.
- Development of post-lithium cell chemistries with target cell- and system-level cost, safety, energy density and power metrics suitable for the selected stationary energy storage markets.
- Credible projected storage costs of less than 0.05 €/kWh/cycle by 2030, particularly for applications with a (minimum) storage durations of up to 8 hours.
- Set out a clear route to a feasible, European-based supply chain that reduces reliance on critical raw materials, substituting with abundant, non-toxic, inherently safe raw materials and minimises the impact of possible international trade disruptions and customs tariffs, taking account of the requirements for a range of stationary storage use cases.
- Demonstration of system operated in end-user conditions for at least 3,000 hours.
- Projected product cycling life 5,000 cycles in conditions operating conditions typical of the selected application.
- A battery storage solution, that works safely and efficiently across a wide range of ambient conditions.
- A defined concept for demonstrable, highly sustainable, circular manufacturing for the selected battery type, with sustainability measured in terms of recognised economic, environmental, social and ethical metrics.
Non-lithium-based batteries have the potential to provide solutions for integration of renewables by providing energy storage solutions, either stand-alone, or as part of larger grid. Proposals are invited for projects which advance the development of non-Li battery systems, show their potential to be manufactured at scale at a cost the market will bear, and which meet regulatory requirements (including regulations for the recycling/re-use of batteries).
Projects may target any stationary storage applications, from a few kWh in small-scale domestic behind-the-meter units, to many MWh in large utility-scale front-of-meter installations.
Whilst stationary storage packaging constraints may not be as stringent as mobile applications in terms of volume and mass, total cost (€/kWh/cycle) and safety are critical to proving technological and commercial viability. Safety concerns become especially prominent as installation sizes increase due to the huge amount of stored chemical energy.
This topic is open to all non-lithium battery chemistries.
Projects are expected to:
- Develop and demonstrate sustainable and safe non-lithium battery solutions from abundant, non-toxic raw materials, capable of deployment in a large share of stationary energy-storage markets aligning the safety and sustainability assessment with the Commission Recommendation on safe and sustainable by design chemicals and materials[1].
- Develop and demonstrate an innovative non-lithium battery technology with energy density and power metrics suited to stationary energy storage applications; and
- Prove the battery system’s sustainability and compatibility with a European supply chain.
- Risks will be demonstrably managed to the lowest possible level and within standard acceptable societal limits for toxicity and safety.
Projects are encouraged to:
- Develop new materials that improve techno-economic performances and/or the ability to meet sustainability targets.
- Show how cell and system design and material improvements optimise techno-economic performance by defining (i) technical and commercial targets, and (ii) quantified success criteria/KPIs by which progress toward achieving the targets may be evaluated during both development and validation phases of the project.
- Demonstrate a credible commercial and technical path, from end-of-project outcomes to a stationary-energy-storage product, and which takes account of future manufacturing and recycling requirements.
- Provide evidence of current and future sustainability, viable European supply chains and rigorous analyses of the complex sustainability and recyclability issues including compatibility with regulation, including recycling regulations.
- Demonstrate minimal towards no maintenance requirements.
BMS development is within scope where relevant but should not be the main focus of the project. In any case, developments of the BMS need to take into account the renewable energy directive and any pending amendments, notably for the requirements for real-time access to the data of the BMS.
Projects which, in addition, demonstrate the suitability of the solution under development for other emerging energy storage markets, such as motive power for off-road and transport applications with similar system requirements are encouraged.
Projects focussed on materials discovery for novel chemistries are out of scope. However, material refinements of known chemistries undertaken to achieve performance, sustainability, safety and cost targets are in scope.
Plans for the exploitation and dissemination of results for proposals submitted under this topic should include a strong business case and sound exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. The exploitation plans should include preliminary plans for scalability, commercialisation, and deployment (feasibility study, business plan) indicating the possible funding sources to be potentially used (in particular the Innovation Fund).
Proposals should indicate to which chapters of the Strategic Research and Innovation Plan for chemicals and materials[2] they will contribute.
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is encouraged for use cases, particularly with India, Africa and Australia.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.
[1] Commission Recommendation (EU/2022/2510) establishing a European assessment framework for ‘safe and sustainable by design’ chemicals and materials.
Destination & Scope
This Destination covers thematic areas which are cross-cutting by nature and can provide key solutions for climate, energy and mobility applications. In line with the scope of cluster 5 such areas are batteries, hydrogen[1], communities and cities[2], early-stage breakthrough technologies as well as citizen engagement[3]. Although these areas are very distinct in terms of challenges, stakeholder communities and expected impacts, they have their cross-cutting nature as a unifying feature and are therefore grouped, if not addressed in other places of this work programme, under this Destination.
This Destination contributes to the following Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations (KSO):
- C: Making Europe the first digitally enabled circular, climate-neutral and sustainable economy through the transformation of its mobility, energy, construction and production systems;
- A: Promoting an open strategic autonomy[4] by leading the development of key digital, enabling and emerging technologies, sectors and value chains to accelerate and steer the digital and green transitions through human-centred technologies and innovations;
- D: Creating a more resilient, inclusive and democratic European society, prepared and responsive to threats and disasters, addressing inequalities and providing high-quality health care, and empowering all citizens to act in the green and digital transitions.
It covers the following impact areas:
- Industrial leadership in key and emerging technologies that work for people
- Affordable and clean energy
- Smart and sustainable transport
The expected impact, in line with the Strategic Plan, is to contribute to the “Clean and sustainable transition of the energy and transport sectors towards climate neutrality facilitated by innovative cross-cutting solutions”, notably through:
- Nurturing a world-class European research and innovation eco-system on batteries along the value chain based on sustainable pathways. It includes improvement of technological performance to increase application user attractiveness (in particular in terms of safety, cost, user convenience, fast charging and environmental footprint), in parallel supporting the creation of a competitive, circular, and sustainable European battery manufacturing value chain (more detailed information below).
- Nurturing the development of emerging technologies with high potential to enable zero-greenhouse gas and negative emissions in energy and transport (more detailed information below).
A competitive and sustainable European battery value chain
Batteries will enable the rollout of zero-emission mobility and renewable energy storage, contributing to the European Green Deal and supporting the UN SDGs by creating a vibrant, responsible and sustainable market. Besides climate neutrality, batteries also contribute to other UN SDGs directly and indirectly such as enabling of decentralized and off-grid energy solutions.
The strategic pathway is, on the one hand, for Europe to rapidly regain technological competitiveness in order to capture a significant market share of the new and fast-growing rechargeable battery market, and, on the other hand, to invest in longer term research on future battery technologies to establish Europe's long term technological leadership and industrial competitiveness
The Partnership “Towards a competitive European industrial battery value chain for stationary applications and e-mobility”, with as short name Batt4EU, to which all battery-related topics under this Destination will contribute, aims to establish world-leading sustainable and circular European battery value chain to drive transformation towards a carbon-neutral society.
The main impacts to be generated by topics targeting the battery value chain under this Destination are:
- Increased global competitiveness of the European battery ecosystem through generated knowledge and leading-edge technologies in battery materials, cell design, manufacturing and recycling.
- Significant contribution to the policy needs of the European Green Deal through new solutions for circularity and recycling of batteries.
- Accelerated growth of innovative, competitive and sustainable battery manufacturing industry in Europe.
- Development of sustainable and safe technologies and systems for decarbonisation of transport and stationary applications.
- Contributing to the strategic independence of Europe through investigation of alternative battery chemistries using non-critical raw materials and efficient recycling technologies.
- Increasing synergies with other partnerships and initiatives.
Emerging breakthrough technologies and climate solutions
Although the contribution of a wide range of technologies to reach climate neutrality is already foreseeable, EU R&I programming should also leave room for emerging and break-through technologies with a high potential to achieve climate neutrality. These technologies can play a significant role in reaching the EU’s goal to become climate neutral by 2050.
Relevant topics supported under this Destination complement the activities supported under Pillars I or III. They address emerging technologies that can enable the climate transition with a technology-neutral bottom-up approach. Research in this area is mostly technological in nature but should also, where relevant, be accompanied by assessments of environmental, social and economic impacts, by identification of regulatory needs, and by activities supporting the creation of value chains to build up new ecosystems of stakeholders working on breakthrough technologies.
The main expected impacts to be generated by the topic targeting breakthrough technologies and climate solutions under this Destination are:
- Emergence of unanticipated technologies enabling emerging zero-greenhouse gas and negative emissions in energy and transport;
- Development of high-risk/high return technologies to enable a transition to a net greenhouse gas neutral European economy.
[1] The bulk of activities are supported by the Institutional Partnership ‘Clean Hydrogen’.
[2] Communities and cities are mainly supported under the Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, and through the co-funded Partnership ‘Driving Urban Transition’, implemented in this work programme as a grant to identified beneficiary.
[3] Citizens engagement as well as social sciences and humanities are mainstreamed across multiple topics across various Destinations in this work programme.
[4] ‘Open strategic autonomy’ refers to the term ‘strategic autonomy while preserving an open economy’, as reflected in the conclusions of the European Council 1 – 2 October 2020.
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
2. Eligible countries: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
3. Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes
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Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes
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Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
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Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
The funding rate is 60% of the eligible costs, except for non-profit legal entities where the funding rate is up to 100% of the total eligible costs.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
Specific conditions
7. Specific conditions: described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Documents
Call documents:
Standard application form — call-specific application form is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Template excel for the detailed budget costs breakdown (Lump Sum)
Presentation - Lump Sum Funding: What do I need to know?
Decision authorising Lump Sum under Horizon Europe
Standard evaluation form — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
MGA
Call-specific instructions
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 13. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Support & Resources
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.
National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’).
Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.
IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment – consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.
Partner Search Services help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.
Latest Updates
Call update: EVALUATION results
Published: 07/12/2022
Deadline: 18/04/2024
Available budget: EUR 92.000.000
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
|
|
D2-01-01 |
D2-01-02 |
D2-01-03 |
D2-01-04 |
D2-01-05 |
|
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls) |
28 |
30 |
7 |
50 |
2 |
|
Number of inadmissible proposals |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Number of ineligible proposals |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
Number of above-threshold proposals |
5 |
12 |
2 |
21 |
1 |
|
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals |
39.144.153,00 € |
81.714.308,00 € |
9.196.860,00 € |
51.607.568,00 € |
19.949.437,00 € |
|
Number of proposals retained for funding |
2 |
3 |
1 |
12 |
1 |
|
Number of proposals in the reserve list |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Funding threshold |
14.5 |
13.5 |
14 |
13 |
13.5 |
|
Ranking distribution for proposals above the evaluation thresholds |
|||||
|
Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 15 and higher or equal to 14 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
0 |
|
Number of proposals with scores lower than 14 and higher or equal to 13 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
|
Number of proposals with scores lower than 13 and higher or equal to 10 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
0 |
Summary of observer report:
“The evaluation of the 117 eligible proposals submitted in response to the call HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01 was performed between 13 May and 21 June 2024. The call covered 5 topics, 4 of them of the RIA type (Research and Innovation Action) with a conventional funding scheme, and one topic of the IA type (Innovation Action) with Lump Sum funding. Each of these proposals was evaluated entirely remotely by a panel of 5 independent evaluators.
The evaluation was thorough, performed in full transparency and impartiality, with fair and equal treatment of all proposals, and in full compliance with all applicable general Horizon Europe rules as well as with specific rules for the call. The evaluation was performed with the external participation of 71 evaluators, 13 rapporteurs, and 8 quality checkers moderated by 12 project officers, under the supervision and permanent guidance of 6 Senior Project Managers and a call coordination team. All participants demonstrated a high degree of dedication and professionalism.
The whole process was observed, remotely, by an independent observer who was given full and unfettered access to all relevant aspects of the call and evaluation process to enable him to complete his task.
The end result of the evaluation is a rank list of proposals for each topic, i.e. each budget line, agreed by all participants, where the best proposals selected for funding, within the available budget limits, have been clearly identified.”
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
The call for proposals HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01 closed on 18/04/2023. 119 proposals were submitted to the call. The breakdown per topic is:
HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-01 (RIA): 28 proposals
HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-02 (IA-LS): 30 proposals
HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-03 (RIA): 7 proposals
HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-04 (RIA): 52 proposals
HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-05 (RIA): 2 proposals
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Dear applicants,
Some users have encountered issues with the Detailed Budget Table (HE Lump sum) template that is preventing them adding beneficiaries tabs. There are also issues with the naming of beneficiaries in the depreciation costs tab. We have replaced now the template in the submission system with a version that does not create issues. If you have already filled in the original Detailed Budget Table without issues, then you can submit this Excel file. However, if you encounter difficulties with the original template, please use the version available now in the submission system.
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Important update:
Please note that the submission system for RIA topics of this call (topics ending 01, 03, 04 and 05) has been modified to allow submission of a technical annex without any size limit (versus 45 pages before); this will allow applicants to topic HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-01-05 to submit proposals with up to 60 pages as foreseen in the Work Programme for this topic. As a result there will be no warning from the submission system in case the annex is more than 45 pages (topics 01, 03 and 04) or more than 60 pages (topic 05), therefore please ensure you submit a proposal with the correct length. Excess pages will be disregarded during the evaluation of proposals.