Phase out fossil fuel in energy intensive industries through the efficient integration of renewable energy sources
HORIZON Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4-06
- 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-D4-06HORIZON-CL5-2026-02
Description
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Based on the results of the project, at least one industrial sector with a significant heating demand in the EU and Associated Countries develops pathways and business models to improve its energy efficiency, and to significantly reduce its consumption of fossil fuel and its emissions of GHG and other pollutants (including air pollutants), while preserving / enhancing its global competitiveness;
- With the goal of completely phasing out the use of fossil fuels in an industrial plant with a significant heating demand, the process(es) is(are) tightly integrated to minimise energy losses and its (their) energy supply relies on the local integration of a combination of renewable energy sources, including, where appropriate, process flexibility and storage to minimise its demand on the electricity grid.
Proposals are expected to demonstrate an innovative solution for the efficient, long lasting and cost-effective local integration of one or a combination of renewable thermal, electrical, bioenergy and other renewable energy sources in industrial processes, for heating, cooling and power generation, while optimising process efficiency and reuse, possibly upgrade of excess heat, with the aim of avoiding or drastically reducing fossil fuel use.
Process flexibility and energy storage can also be integrated, to match the energy demand of the industrial process with the variable renewable energy supply profile, and to minimise electricity demand from the power grid. Where possible, the integration with neighbouring industries and/or communities should be considered for the benefit of energy and resources sharing and efficiency.
The solution should be designed to ensure that the industrial process avoids or has very low GHG and other pollutant emissions, ensures high reliability and safety, and high physical and cyber security. It should be physically demonstrated in an industrial environment and be applicable to a significant share of the total energy demand of the industrial plant. The project should demonstrate through numerical simulations that the physically demonstrated solution can be scaled up to completely phase out the use of fossil fuels.
The project should facilitate the future deployment of the solution in the EU and Associated Countries’ plants in the same industrial sector(s). Already before starting the design phase, the needs of most EU and Associated Countries’ factories in the same industrial sector(s) should be surveyed and analysed in order to design a solution that can be adapted to meet most of them, to identify common components to be optimised/standardised and to issue/disseminate technical and economic guidelines.
Proposals are expected to present a strong business model and sound exploitation strategy for the proposed solution, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination.
Destination & Scope
This Destination targets the energy demand side, notably a more efficient use of energy in buildings and industry. It contributes to the activities of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and its implementation working groups.
This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations ‘Green 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 ‘Using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable and sustainable way’.
The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:
Highly energy-efficient and climate neutral European building stock
- The life-cycle energy performance and resource efficiency of the European building stock is improved at an accelerated pace and contributes to the EU's energy security.
- The renovation and construction are cost-efficient, affordable and less disruptive, have reduced climate and environmental impact through circularity, and use of low-carbon materials.
- The buildings in Europe are increasingly interacting with the users, energy system and their environment contributing to an integrated, resilient, secure and flexible operation.
- The buildings and built environment in Europe mitigate climate change and are more resilient.
- The built environment is inclusive and delivers a better quality of life for all users.
Industry
The energy efficiency of EU energy intensive industries is improved, their consumption of fossil fuel and their GHG and other pollutants emissions are drastically reduced, while preserving / enhancing their global competitiveness.
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
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
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
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
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.
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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 help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.
Latest Updates
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