Delivery of industrial CCUS clusters – Societal Readiness pilot

Overview

Supports the development of industrial carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) clusters to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries, with a focus on societal readiness and near-to-market solutions. Targets consortia with strong industrial involvement and interdisciplinary expertise in technical, economic, and social dimensions.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of legal entities (e.g., industries, research organisations, public bodies, NGOs) from eligible countries, including cross-border partnerships. Industrial participation is mandatory.

Funding Details

• Maximum grant amount: €10,000,000 per project.
• Funding rate: Not specified (refer to Horizon Europe Work Programme for standard rates).
• Co-funding: Not explicitly required but projects must outline private/public funding sources for scalability.

What Is Funded

• Planning and retrofitting of CCUS capture systems for industrial plants.
• Development of regional or cross-border CCUS clusters, including CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure.
• Optimisation of industrial symbiosis, CO₂ stream management, and multimodal transport solutions.
• Business models for CO₂ networks, economic/technical assessments, and permitting studies.
• Societal engagement activities to address public acceptability and stakeholder concerns.
• Strategies for scalability, commercialisation, and integration with energy networks (e.g., hydrogen, electricity).

Technology / Maturity Requirements

• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 7–9 (system prototype demonstration to actual system proven in operational environment).

Key Dates

• Open date: 2027-08-03
• Deadline: 2027-11-30T23:00:00Z

Application Process (High-Level)

• Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Proposals must follow Horizon Europe’s standard application form (HE RIA/IA) and page limits.

Post-Award Obligations

• Exploitation strategy including scalability, commercialisation, and funding plans.
• Reporting on societal engagement outcomes and stakeholder feedback.
• Compliance with Horizon Europe’s monitoring and dissemination requirements.

Geographic Scope & Language

• Eligible countries: EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries (e.g., Norway, UK, Switzerland), and select third countries (refer to Annex B).
• Application language: English.

Notes

• Mandatory interdisciplinary approach, including social sciences and humanities (SSH) expertise to address societal readiness.
• Projects must use Copernicus/Galileo data if satellite-based services are employed.
• Priority given to proposals demonstrating industrial leadership and cross-border collaboration.