Cluster 5 Work programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility. Activities in this work programme will contribute to various Key Strategic Orientations of Horizon Europe’s Strategic Plan but principally targeting “Making Europe the first digitally enabled circular, climate-neutral and sustainable economy through the transformation of its mobility, energy, construction and production systems”. With six Destinations in the work programme, Destination 3 and 4 target Energy directly (although all six are cross cutting in nature): 

Destination 3. Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply: More efficient, clean, sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply through new solutions for smart grids and energy systems based on more performant renewable energy solutions.

Destination 4. Efficient, sustainable and inclusive energy use: Efficient and sustainable use of energy, accessible for all is ensured through a clean energy system and a just transition.

Simply put, Destination 3 covers renewables and the grid with Destination 4 targeting buildings. 

For these two destinations the current work programme (2023/2024) has 88 topics and more than €1.2bn of funding available. 

Several EU initiatives feed into the work programme's content. These include The Green Deal, The SET plan, The renovation wave, and more recently the New European Bauhaus and REPowerEU. For example, RePowerEU is an initiative to reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian Fossil fuels, it focuses on diversifying fuel sources, saving energy with behavioural changes, and accelerating clean energy. To do this, it will target, by 2027, reforms worth €300 billion in areas such as industrial decarbonisation, integrated and adapted gas and electricity infrastructure network. It will also increase the European renewables target for 2030 from 40% to 45% and a hydrogen accelerator to build 17.5 GW by 2025 of electrolysers to fuel EU industry with homegrown production of 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen. 

Hydrogen R&D

One of the mechanisms to target renewable hydrogen is through the Clean Hydrogen partnership. This is a follow on from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Partnership, the partnership has an annual call funding research and development across the Hydrogen landscape, from electrolyser development to various Hydrogen uses which includes the flagship Hydrogen Valleys. 

The LIFE programme – Programme for the Environment and Climate Action covers four subprogrammes:

 - “Nature and biodiversity”, 

 - “Circular economy and quality of life”, 

 - “Climate change mitigation and adaptation” 

 - “Clean energy transition (CET)”. This LIFE CET subprogramme is a continuation of H2020 Energy Efficiency market uptake topics, now at 95% funding with an annual call. 

The LIFE Call for proposals 2023 for the first three subprogrammes will be published on the Funding & Tender opportunities portal as of mid-April. The calls for Clean Energy Transition are expected to be published as of mid-May and deadlines are expected in November 2023.

New Cluster 5 NCP network Partner search tool:

The aim of the Greenet partner search tool is to bring together different organisations (coordinators as well as partners) on one platform. the platform will support virtual one-to-one meetings throughout the year where participants can discuss, network and form consortia around climate, energy and mobility calls within Horizon Europe. Register here.