Demonstrating in-line inspection (ILI) to monitor cracks assuring compatibility for operation with hydrogen in new and re-purposed offshore natural ga...

The HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-02-02 grant opportunity is offered under the Horizon Europe program, specifically focusing on Research and Innovation Actions related to hydrogen infrastructure. The goal is to advance In-Line Inspection (ILI) technology for hydrogen pipelines, ensuring their safe operation, especially for offshore pipelines that might be repurposed from natural gas use. This initiative addresses the inherent integrity challenges faced by these pipelines due to hydrogen's effects on materials, making it crucial to develop reliable inspection tools that can detect defects.

Eligible applicants must form consortia that include at least one ILI tool provider and one gas transport grid operator. The funding mechanism is through lump sum grants, with a maximum EU contribution of €3.50 million per project, as part of a broader budget of €105 million allocated for 2026.

The project aims to progress from a technology readiness level (TRL) of 4 to at least TRL 6 by project completion, which involves the development, validation, and demonstration of ILI tools in high-pressure hydrogen environments. Important aspects of the project include establishing acceptance criteria for defects, ensuring tools can operate under specific conditions, and optimizing their design for effective function in offshore settings.

The timeline for application is defined with the opening of submissions on February 10, 2026, and a deadline by April 15, 2026. Proposals are evaluated in a single-stage process, promoting a streamlined approach to application.

The project expects to deliver several key outputs: validated ILI tools suitable for hydrogen service, clear guidelines for inspection procedures, and recommendations for standardization. By tapping into existing research and initiatives, participants can leverage synergies to enhance the project outcomes. Overall, this collaborative approach is aimed at boosting Europe’s leadership in hydrogen technology while paving the way for more reliable and sustainable hydrogen infrastructure.

This is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (JU), focusing on research and innovation actions (RIA) to demonstrate In-Line Inspection (ILI) tools for hydrogen pipelines. The call, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-02-02, aims to ensure the safe and reliable operation of both repurposed and new offshore pipelines designed for hydrogen transport. The primary goal is to validate that ILI tools can effectively detect crack-like defects, particularly in areas of stress concentration, such as welds.

The call recognizes that existing natural gas grids are expected to form a significant part of the future hydrogen transport infrastructure. While integrity work has focused on onshore pipelines, offshore pipelines present unique challenges due to their design rules, operating conditions, and the difficulty of excavation for maintenance. Hydrogen's detrimental effects on fracture toughness, ductility, and fatigue crack growth rate further complicate the integrity of offshore pipelines.

The expected outcomes of successful projects include:

Safe operation of repurposed and new offshore pipelines with hydrogen.
Maintaining European technology leadership in ILI systems.
Improving ILI efficiency in stress concentration areas, such as welds and crack-like defects.
Extending the lifetime and reducing costs of pipeline operation (also onshore).
Supporting the progress of standardisation of gas grid operation and maintenance.

The scope of the projects should include:

Demonstrating ILI tools to qualify existing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen service.
Operating ILI tools in future offshore hydrogen pipelines (new or repurposed).
Validating the tool's suitability for detecting crack-like defects, especially in stress concentration areas.

Proposals should build upon existing work and results from related projects, including those from the Pipeline Operator Forum (POF), European Pipeline Research Group (EPRG), Pipeline Research Conference International (PRCI), and Clean Hydrogen JU projects like HIGGS, SHIMMER, and PilgrHYm, as well as national projects like TransHyDe. Synergies with ongoing relevant projects should be identified.

Key activities to be addressed in the project scope include:

Determining acceptance criteria for defects, including critical flaw characteristics and sizes, to set the required detection sensitivity for the ILI method and device. The tool should be able to differentiate effectiveness in seam welds, girth welds, and the pipe body according to wall thickness. The minimum ambition should be that the tool can detect internal surface-breaking circumferential flaws and surface defects not larger than 3x20 mm in the pipeline. The minimum acceptable performance with respect to axially oriented cracks and crack-like defects are:
Minimum depth at a Probability of Detection (POD) = 90% of a crack of a length of 25 mm: 1 mm or 10% of the wall thickness, whichever value is greater and a minimum crack opening: < 0.1 mm
Depth sizing accuracy at 90% certainty: ± 0.5 mm or 5% of the wall thickness, whichever value is greater and a length sizing accuracy at 90% certainty: ± 5 mm
Orientation limits for detectability: ± 10°
Determining required conditions for the tool and its operation, including long-term hydrogen compatibility/stability and consideration of operational conditions (acceleration, mechanical impact, etc.). The tool should be able to negotiate at least 1.5D 90° bends, collapse and pass bore restrictions to 75% of the inside diameter, pass 1:1 offtakes without pig bars, and have low tool drag and friction. Low cost by design, ease of handling, and low risk of failure should also be considered.
Developing and testing ILI tools to the defined specifications.
Defining guidelines and protocols for the execution of in-line inspections, including launch and receive procedures, for qualifying existing offshore pipelines and maintaining pipelines with hydrogen, including velocity control of the ILI tool. This includes pipeline cleanliness levels and cleaning pigging launch protocols between crack detection pigs, and combining other methodologies such as MFL-A/C.
Identifying and providing suggestions for amendments of existing RCS for the secure monitoring of offshore high-pressure grids.
Validating the reliable operation of the ILI tool according to defined specifications, guidelines, and protocols under real conditions to qualify the design at TRL 6. Validation in a hydrogen environment and in high-pressure pipelines between NPS 16”/DN 400 and NPS 32”/DN 800 is considered sufficient, with controllable pressure and flow conditions to adapt to requirements for testing.

Activities are expected to start at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and achieve TRL 6 by the end of the project. The JU estimates that a maximum EU contribution of EUR 3.50 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.

The general conditions for admissibility, eligible countries, and financial and operational capacity are detailed in Annexes A, B, C, E, F, and G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. The page limit for Innovation Actions is 70 pages.

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. Subcontracting work may only be performed in target countries, which are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries. Beneficiaries must inform the granting authority if the results could reasonably be expected to contribute to European or international standards, up to 4 years after the end of the action.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), Lump Sum MGA, Call-specific instructions, Detailed budget table (HE LS), Clean Hydrogen JU Annual Work Programme 2026 (AWP 2026), Clean Hydrogen JU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), and Lump Sums Guidance.

The submission system is planned to be opened on 10 February 2026, and the deadline for submission is 15 April 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

In summary, this funding opportunity seeks to improve the safety and reliability of offshore hydrogen pipelines by developing and demonstrating advanced in-line inspection tools. It aims to support the transition to a hydrogen-based energy system by addressing the unique challenges of offshore infrastructure and ensuring the integrity of pipelines used for hydrogen transport. The call encourages collaboration between ILI tool providers and gas transport grid operators to achieve these goals.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call requires a consortium including at least one In-Line-Inspection tool provider and one gas transport grid operator. Other eligible applicant types are not explicitly mentioned, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions, they could include research institutes, universities, SMEs, and large enterprises involved in relevant technology development and deployment.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with funding provided as a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, with a mandatory inclusion of at least one In-Line-Inspection tool provider and one gas transport grid operator.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The target countries for subcontracting are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries. The eligibility of non-EU/non-Associated Countries is subject to specific provisions as outlined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sector is hydrogen, specifically focusing on the repurposing of existing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport, offshore pipeline integrity, and In-Line Inspection (ILI) technologies. It also touches upon energy infrastructure, cleantech, and advanced machines/processes.

Mentioned Countries: The call explicitly mentions Member States of the European Union and Associated Countries as target countries for subcontracting.

Project Stage: The project activities are expected to start at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and achieve TRL 6 by the end of the project.

Funding Amount: The JU estimates that an EU contribution of maximum EUR 3.50 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned as a requirement, but it is implied that actions performed at high TRL level are expected to leverage co-funding as commitment from stakeholders.

Summary:

This funding opportunity, under the Horizon Europe program and managed by the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (JU), aims to support projects that demonstrate In-Line Inspection (ILI) tools for qualifying existing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen service, particularly in offshore environments. The goal is to ensure the safe and reliable operation of both repurposed and new offshore pipelines for hydrogen transport. Projects should focus on developing and validating ILI tools capable of detecting crack-like defects in stress concentration areas, establishing acceptance criteria for these defects, and defining guidelines for ILI execution in hydrogen pipelines. The call encourages consortia that include at least one In-Line-Inspection tool provider and one gas transport grid operator. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with a maximum EU contribution of EUR 3.50 million per project. Activities should start at TRL 4 and reach TRL 6 by project completion. The call is open to entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries, with subcontracting limited to these countries. This initiative seeks to advance hydrogen infrastructure, maintain European technology leadership in ILI systems, and contribute to the Clean Hydrogen JU's Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).