Open

New CO2 capture technologies

HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

Basic Information

Identifier
HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-24
Programme
Cluster 5 Call 02-2026 (WP 2025)
Programme Period
2021 - 2027
Status
Open (31094502)
Opening Date
September 16, 2025
Deadline
February 17, 2026
Deadline Model
single-stage
Budget
€15,000,000
Min Grant Amount
€5,000,000
Max Grant Amount
€5,000,000
Expected Number of Grants
3
Keywords
HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D3-24HORIZON-CL5-2026-02

Description

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:

  • New capture technologies (either from points sources or directly from air) should lead to reduced overall cost of capture, as well as lowest possible negative environmental impact, including water use.
Scope:

Development of new or emerging capture technologies with high potential for cost reduction. Proposals shall address capture of CO2 either from one of the following areas (and explicitly identify which is being covered):

  1. Point sources, or
  2. Directly from air (direct air capture, DAC).

Depending on the capture routes chosen (e.g., solvents, sorbents, membranes, cryogenic, solid looping), examples of important issues to address include enhanced absorption/adsorption, improved kinetics and reduced energy use for CO2 capture and desorption, new materials with high selectivity for CO2 capture, flexibility of operation, modularisation and scale-up, space occupation, degradation and life span of capture materials, ability for retrofit, potential for heat integration, and solvent-induced corrosion.

In particular for DAC, examples of important issues to address are novel sorbent or solvent materials that have higher CO2 capture capacities and longer-term stability in the presence of heat and air. For all proposals, minimisation of health and environmental impact must be addressed in the project also in view of future scaling up. The developed technologies should aim at delivering CO2 at the specifications required for transport and storage, with very low levels of impurities.

For point-source capture, the technologies should address the performance profile and characteristic when operating under variable operating conditions such as load changes to maintain and as high as possible capture rate across the entire operating profile. Results from point-source capture should provide good matches between specific industrial application and capture technology while guaranteeing the quality and continuity of the industrial process.

The use of the European Research Infrastructure for CO2 Capture, Utilisation, Transport and Storage ECCSEL is encouraged but not mandatory.

In particular for DAC, international cooperation with participating countries of the Mission Innovation Carbon Dioxide Removal Mission[1] is encouraged.

[1] Carbon Dioxide Removal – Mission Innovation (mission-innovation.net)

Destination & Scope

This Destination includes activities targeting a sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply. In line with the scope of cluster 5, this includes activities in the areas of renewable energy; energy system, grids and storage; as well as Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).

This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic OrientationsGreen transition’, ‘Digital transition’ and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.

In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the ‘Ensuring more sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply through solutions for smart energy systems based on renewable energy solutions’.

This destination contributes to the activities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and its implementation working groups.

The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:

Renewable energy

  1. Energy producers have access to competitive European renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies and deploy them to enhance the EU’s energy security. This will contribute to the 2030 “Fit for 55” targets (in particular, at least 42.5% renewable energy share and aiming for 45% in the EU energy consumption, 5.5% advanced biofuels and renewable fuels of non-biological origin share in EU fuel consumption). It will also contribute to the indicative target of at least 5% innovative renewable energy technology for the newly installed renewable energy capacity. By 2050, climate neutrality in the energy sector will be achieved in a sustainable way in environmental (e.g., biodiversity, multiple uses of land and water, natural resources, pollution) and socioeconomic terms, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. Technology providers have access to European, reliable, sustainable, and affordable value chains of renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies.
  3. Economic sectors benefit from better integration of renewable energy and renewable fuel-based solutions that are among others cost-effective, efficient, flexible, reliable, and sustainable. Such integration is facilitated by digital technologies and by renewable energy technologies that provide network stability and reliability.
  4. European researchers benefit from a stronger community and from a reinforced scientific basis on renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies, also through international collaborations.
  5. European industries benefit from a reinforced export potential of renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies, also through international collaborations.
  6. European industries become frontrunners and maintain technological leadership in innovative renewable energy technologies in line with the energy union strategy.
  7. European citizens, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, have access to an energy market that is affordable, fair and equitable, more resilient, uses all different types of local renewable energy resources, and is less dependent on fossil fuels. Local communities benefit from a more decentralised and secure energy system and from multiple uses of land and water. Less citizens experience fuel and energy poverty.
  8. Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) implementation working groups on solar photovoltaics, solar thermal technologies, renewable fuels and bioenergy, wind energy, geothermal energy, and ocean energy benefit from a reinforced scientific basis and collaboration on renewable energy and renewable fuel technologies towards meeting the ambitious targets of the European Green Deal.

Energy systems, grids & storage

R&I actions will support the just digital and green transformation of the energy system through advanced solutions for accelerating the energy systems integration and decarbonisation. The developed clean, sustainable solutions will contribute to making the energy system and supply more reliable, resilient, and secure. The solutions will contribute to increase flexibility and grid hosting capacity for renewables through optimising cross sector integration and grid scale storage. They will enhance the competitiveness of the European value chain, reduce pressure on resources (also by making technologies ‘circular by design’) and decrease dependencies.

Innovative and cost-effective energy storage (integration) solutions are developed, that provide flexibility to the energy system, reduce total cost of grid operation and enhancement and that minimise the use of critical raw materials and ensure, to the best extent possible, their reuse and recycling, are key elements of the energy system.

Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR)

  1. Accelerated development of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) as a CO2 emission mitigation option in electricity generation, in industry applications and carbon dioxide removal technologies (including conversion of CO2 to energy products).
  2. Reduced EU’s dependency on imported fossil fuels and increased energy security, reduced energy system’s vulnerability to the impacts of the changing climate.

Eligibility & Conditions

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

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.

3. Other Eligible 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.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

In order to ensure a balanced portfolio of activities covering both (i) point-source capture and (ii) direct air capture technologies, grants will be awarded not only in order of ranking but at least also to one proposal that is the highest ranked within each area, provided they attain all thresholds (and subject to available budget).

are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

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]].

described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions

described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]

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.

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