Demonstration of innovative materials, supply cycles, recycling technologies to increase the overall circularity of wind energy technology and to reduce the primary use of critical raw materials
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Renewable energy sources installations will have an explosive growth, in order to achieve the goals of climate-neutrality by 2050. Clear and decisive actions will need to be taken in order to assure that, the future wind farms are sustainable and circular, while also dealing with current wind farms and the recycling of their components, once they reach the end of their lifetime.
The nature of this challenge involves different kinds of activities. The first activity is on the development of large-scale industrial demonstration of composite material recycling technologies to increase the circularity of wind technology. This demonstration will focus on flexible approaches for composite recycling, and on the development of a knowledge hub involving other composite-heavy sectors, in order to share best practices and to identify common challenges.
Detailed Call Description
The proposal is expected to address one of the following activity areas:
- On the development of large-scale industrial demonstration of composite material recycling technologies to increase the circularity of wind technology, proposals are expected to demonstrate recycling technologies at large-scale in an operating environment. The proposed solution will be a flexible production line, able to deal with a large amount of material (including, for example, coatings, paints, etc.) and applicable to several manufacturers and possibly to other sectors. The proposed solution should also have a long-term plan, with a business plan, beyond the life of the project. The proposals will also build a knowledge hub within the sector and with other sectors to transfer information and to promote recycling in the renewable energy sector and ‘circularity by design’ as a solution.
- On the development of alternative solutions to replace/substitute critical raw materials, proposals need to develop and demonstrate, in a relevant or operational environment, solutions and their supply cycles, improving efficiency of sourcing processes and effectively replacing the constrained materials. The development of advanced ‘circular by design’ materials should also be considered. The solutions proposed should be in line with the Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials and the Foresight Study on Critical Raw Materials for Strategic Technologies and Sectors in the EU. Finally, the proposals will indicate the effect that such proposed solutions have on promoting circularity and/or recyclability on wind energy, as well as their circularity potential, their financial feasibility, and their potential to be upscaled. Further, the proposals should address and support life cycle analysis as a tool to bring into evidence the environmental impact and resource efficiency of proposed solutions.
Independently of the activity tackled, the proposal has to include a clear go/no go moment ahead of entering the deployment phase. Before this go/no-go moment, the project will have to deliver the detailed engineering plans and all needed permits for the deployment of the project. In the case of the first activity, the project will also have to deliver a complete business and implementation plan.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
EU contribution per project: €13,00 million
Thematic Categories
- Energy
- Environment and Climate Change
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Large Enterprises
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Mr Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 029
Contact Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy
Mr George Christou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 205 030
Contact Email: gchristou@research.org.cy
(Publish Date: 05/11/2021-for internal use only)
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact