Demonstration of battery energy storage systems in existing and new vessels via novel energy storage and ship design concepts (ZEWT Partnership)

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-11 focuses on the demonstration of battery energy storage systems in maritime vessels through innovative energy storage and ship design concepts. This initiative is part of the Horizon Europe program, particularly under Cluster 5, related to climate, energy, and mobility. The call is an Innovation Action, designed to support the deployment of battery technology in maritime vessels, contributing to EU climate goals.

Eligible applicants include startups, small and medium enterprises, large enterprises, research institutes, universities, public-private partnerships, and non-governmental organizations, all involved in maritime and energy sectors. The funding mechanism is primarily a grant, with an expected range of €1 million to €5 million per project. The application process takes place through a single-stage open call, with a submission deadline set for September 4, 2025.

Projects are aimed at full-scale demonstrations in two areas: seagoing vessels over 400 Gross Tonnage and inland river vessels above 86 meters. Key objectives include achieving a 40% increase in vessel operating range using batteries as the primary propulsion source, innovative energy storage solutions, development of safety guidelines, and the utilization of big data to enhance operational efficiency. The success rates for applications are projected to be competitive but variable, ranging from 10% to 39%.

Geographically, the opportunity is open to participants from EU member states, the European Economic Area, and potentially certain non-EU/non-associated countries. The goal is to enhance the competitiveness of the EU waterborne sector and promote its strategic autonomy through innovative battery-electric maritime solutions, thereby supporting the decarbonization of the maritime industry.

Collaboration through consortia is encouraged, encompassing diverse expertise to address the challenges posed by the project scope. A co-funding requirement is anticipated, although specifics on the percentage of co-funding needed are not clearly outlined. Overall, this funding opportunity seeks to propel significant advancements in maritime battery technologies and contribute to sustainable transport solutions in alignment with EU environmental policies.

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-11, titled "Demonstration of battery energy storage systems in existing and new vessels via novel energy storage and ship design concepts (ZEWT Partnership)", aims to increase the range of fully-battery-electric operation of waterborne transport vessels. This initiative falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Cluster 5 Call 04-2025 (WP 2025) and is a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) with a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline. The opening date was May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submission is September 4, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity include: a demonstrated 40% increase in fully electric long-distance autonomy for maritime vessels above 400 Gross Tonnage (GT) or inland river vessels above 86 meters, using batteries as the primary energy source; demonstrated innovative solutions in energy storage concepts, energy efficiency or rapid in-route charging; measures to increase the connectivity between islands and their connections to mainland are proposed and modal shift of cargo from road to inland waterway transport is fostered by presenting solutions ready for practical deployment; improved lifetime and safe use of batteries in waterborne transport by addressing the operation, degradation and failure modes associated with unique waterborne transport operating conditions; and a contribution to the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the EU waterborne sector. The EU waterborne industry, including shipyards and equipment manufacturers, will gain an increased competitive advantage through the development of key and cost-effective solutions for high energy densities storage systems and battery electric ships.

The scope of this opportunity focuses on demonstrating battery-electric operation in two areas: Area A, seagoing vessels over 400 GWT, and Area B, inland river vessels above 86 meters. Proposals are expected to address several aspects, including: demonstrating a 40% increase in vessel operating range with battery as the primary source of propulsion compared to a 2024 state-of-the-art full electric baseline, with solutions allowing an operation range of at least 120 nautical miles (or equivalent) applicable to representative operating conditions; innovative measures for range extension beyond simple scaling up of existing battery systems, including new onboard energy storage system concepts, innovative onboard energy efficiency measures, concepts for extending battery lifetime, and concepts for rapid in-route charging or battery replenishment; development of guidelines/recommendations for the safety assessment of novel installations based on field testing, building on established safety guidelines and requirements; replication case studies showing the applicability of the developed solution under emulated conditions for at least two other waterborne applications; a plan for exploitation and dissemination of results, identifying adequate business cases and providing a roadmap for replication and deployment; development of material for training, reskilling, and upskilling of seafarers and shore-based personnel; and justification of the contribution of project objectives, results, intellectual property (IP) management, and exploitation strategy to EU added value creation and strategic autonomy.

Proposals are also invited to prove the utilization of big data and data science technologies to determine real-world references regarding ship performance, environmental impacts, and maintenance needs of ships operating on low and zero-carbon fuels. This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Zero Emission Waterborne Transport’ (ZEWT), and projects will be expected to report on results to the ZEWT partnership in support of its KPI monitoring.

The general conditions for this call include: admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form; eligible countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries; other eligible conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes, with a focus on ensuring a balanced portfolio by awarding grants to applications that are the highest ranked within area A or B; submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; and legal and financial set-up of the grants as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions for this call are not applicable.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA) information includes: application form templates available in the Submission System (Standard application form HE RIA, IA); evaluation form templates that will be used with necessary adaptations (Standard evaluation form HE RIA, IA); guidance from the HE Programme Guide; Model Grant Agreements (MGA) including HE MGA and HE Unit MGA; and no call-specific instructions.

Additional documents include: 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 Programme Guide; 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; Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions; and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview for this topic in 2025 includes: HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-01, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 20,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-02, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-03, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-04, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action with a budget of 7,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-05, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-06, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-07, a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action with a budget of 2,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-08, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-10, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 22,500,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-11, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 15,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-12, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action with a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-13, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 4,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-14, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 5,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-15, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 7,500,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-16, a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action with a budget of 2,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-18, a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action with a budget of 1,600,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-19, a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action with a budget of 2,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D6-01, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action with a budget of 12,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D6-02, a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action with a budget of 4,500,000 EUR and an indicative number of 1 grant; HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D6-11, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action with a budget of 10,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants; and HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D6-12, a HORIZON Innovation Action with a budget of 8,000,000 EUR and an indicative number of 2 grants.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited on the portal, where LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registrants can publish partner requests.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to significantly increase the range and efficiency of battery-electric waterborne transport by funding innovation actions that demonstrate advanced energy storage and ship design concepts. It seeks to contribute to the decarbonization and depollution of waterborne transport, enhance the competitiveness of the EU waterborne industry, and promote the strategic autonomy of the EU in this sector. The call encourages proposals that go beyond incremental improvements, focusing on novel solutions and the integration of renewable energy technologies. The projects are expected to develop safety guidelines, training materials, and business cases for the wider adoption of battery-electric vessels, aligning with the goals of the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport partnership.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls, they typically include a mix of entities such as: startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and other relevant organizations. The call encourages proposals to prioritize shipyards, equipment manufacturers and suppliers located in the EU and EEA.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically through HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA). The type of Model Grant Agreement is HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the call encourages collaboration and the formation of consortia, as evidenced by the partner search announcements and the need for diverse expertise to address the scope of the projects. Therefore, a consortium is highly recommended.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility focuses on entities located in the EU and EEA. However, the call mentions that 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: energy, transport, climate, cleantech, and maritime. More specifically, it focuses on battery technology, energy storage, waterborne transport, and decarbonization of the maritime sector.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the EU and EEA (European Economic Area). It also refers to "non-EU/non-Associated Countries" without naming specific countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is demonstration and innovation. The call aims for full-scale demonstration of battery-electric operation in seagoing vessels and inland river vessels.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from EUR 1,600,000 to EUR 22,500,000. The indicative number of grants per topic also varies, typically between 1 and 2.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their projects.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic suggests that it is competitive.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under Cluster 5 and the Zero Emission Waterborne Transport (ZEWT) Partnership, focuses on "Demonstration of battery energy storage systems in existing and new vessels via novel energy storage and ship design concepts." The call aims to increase the range and efficiency of fully battery-electric waterborne transport, contributing to the decarbonization and depollution of the maritime sector. It seeks proposals for full-scale demonstration projects in two areas: seagoing vessels over 400 GT and inland river vessels above 86 meters.

Projects should demonstrate a 40% increase in vessel operating range using batteries as the primary propulsion source, innovative measures for range extension beyond simple battery scaling, development of safety assessment guidelines, replication case studies, and plans for exploitation and dissemination of results. The call encourages the utilization of big data and data science technologies to determine real-world references regarding ship performance, environmental impacts, and maintenance needs of ships operating on low and zero-carbon fuels.

Eligible applicants include a variety of entities from the EU and EEA, with potential participation from non-EU/non-associated countries. The funding is provided through Horizon Innovation Actions (IA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), with budgets ranging from EUR 1,600,000 to EUR 22,500,000 per topic. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of September 4, 2025. The call aims to foster the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the EU waterborne sector by supporting the development and deployment of key technologies for high energy density storage systems and battery-electric ships.