Demonstration of industrial excess/waste heat conversion to mechanical or electrical power

The grant opportunity HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-09 focuses on the demonstration of industrial excess and waste heat conversion to mechanical or electrical power. It is part of the Horizon Europe Program aimed at increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing sustainability in energy-intensive industries. The total budget for this initiative is €13.5 million, with two expected grants of €6.75 million each.

Eligible applicants include private enterprises, industrial companies, research organizations, non-profits, public bodies, and consortia. The initiative encourages collaboration among multiple entities, particularly those with operational industrial sites capable of hosting demonstrations. Legal entities from China are ineligible to participate.

The funding type is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, emphasizing a simplified financial management model where eligible costs are predetermined as lump sums rather than through reimbursement. The application process is a single-stage submission, opening on May 5, 2027, and closing on September 15, 2027. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

The target sector includes energy-intensive industries such as manufacturing, refining, and chemical production focusing on waste heat recovery and conversion. The grant aims to develop, validate, and demonstrate new systems for capturing waste heat, ultimately aiming for replicable and standardized solutions across various industrial sectors.

Success rates are estimated to be moderate to high, with about 10 to 20 percent of proposals expected to receive funding. While co-funding is not explicitly required, it is encouraged, especially as the development and integration of technology might benefit from additional investment.

The overarching goal of this grant opportunity aligns with the European Union's objectives of promoting a climate-neutral economy, energy security, and a sustainable industrial framework. Projects funded under this grant will contribute to the improvement of energy efficiency, the decarbonization of the industrial sector, and the integration of renewable energy sources within industrial applications.

This is a summary of several Horizon Europe funding opportunities related to energy efficiency in industry, specifically focusing on the recovery and conversion of industrial excess/waste heat. These opportunities fall under the BATTERIES and ENERGY (HORIZON-CL5-2027-05) call and aim to contribute to the destination of "Using energy in buildings and industry in an efficient, affordable and sustainable way (2026-27)".

The primary goal is to improve the use of process excess/waste heat in industries, converting it back to electricity to enhance energy efficiency, reduce electricity consumption from industrial electrification, and provide flexible electricity generation for grid stabilization when combined with energy storage.

Key expected outcomes include:

Development of pathways and business models for industrial sectors with significant heating demands in the EU and Associated Countries to increase industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion to power.

Measurable improvements in industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion to power, considering energy efficiency, electricity production flexibility, climate and environmental protection, reliability, safety, physical and cyber security, and profitability.

Projects funded under these opportunities must address the following:

Develop and validate novel excess/waste heat recovery and conversion systems.

Demonstrate physically the recovery of industrial excess/waste heat, potentially combined with energy storage, and its conversion to mechanical or electrical power within operational industrial sites.

Maximize the replicability and deployment of the solutions across EU and Associated Countries’ plants within the same industrial sector. This includes surveying and analyzing the needs of factories early in the design phase to create adaptable solutions.

Identify common components, optimize them, and define a standardized version.

Develop open technical and economical guidelines and tools for integrating these systems into existing plant infrastructures like SCADA and EMS, and for creating innovative business models for heat valorization as a flexible electricity generation source for grid stabilization.

Disseminate results to relevant communities, particularly those in cluster 4 ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ private-public partnerships.

The destination of these opportunities aims to achieve:

Highly energy-efficient and climate-neutral European building stock by improving energy performance, ensuring cost-efficient and affordable renovations, promoting interaction with users and the energy system, and enhancing climate resilience and quality of life.

Improved energy efficiency in EU energy-intensive industries, reducing fossil fuel consumption, GHG emissions, and other pollutants through electrification, renewable energy use, and heat recovery, while maintaining global competitiveness.

Important restrictions include that legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) under this destination.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, evaluation, award, and legal/financial setup are aligned with the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum.

Application forms, evaluation templates, model grant agreements, and additional guidance documents are available on the Submission System and Funding & Tenders Portal.

The following specific funding opportunities are available under this call:

HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D2-08: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 18,800,000 EUR, aiming for around 2 grants with contributions of approximately 9,400,000 EUR each.

HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-05: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 20,250,000 EUR, aiming for around 3 grants with contributions of approximately 6,750,000 EUR each.

HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-06: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 15,750,000 EUR, aiming for around 3 grants with contributions of approximately 5,250,000 EUR each.

HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-07: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 27,000,000 EUR, aiming for around 4 grants with contributions of approximately 6,750,000 EUR each.

HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-09: HORIZON Innovation Actions with a budget of 13,500,000 EUR, aiming for around 2 grants with contributions of approximately 6,750,000 EUR each.

All opportunities follow a single-stage submission process, with a planned opening date of May 5, 2027, and a deadline of September 15, 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time.

Applicants can find partners through the Partner Search announcements and are encouraged to consult the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, and Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for support.

In summary, this funding opportunity is geared towards projects that can demonstrate innovative and practical solutions for recovering and converting industrial waste heat into usable energy, contributing to a more sustainable and energy-efficient industrial sector in Europe. It emphasizes the importance of replicability, standardization, and integration with existing industrial systems, as well as the development of viable business models for heat valorization.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe Innovation Actions, eligible applicants can include a mix of legal entities such as startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The program encourages participation from various actors across the EU and associated countries.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, which falls under the HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) funding scheme.

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the call for proposals encourages collaborative projects. Given the scope and objectives, a consortium of multiple applicants is highly probable, although a single applicant might be possible if they demonstrate sufficient capacity. The partner search announcements further suggest that consortia are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes the EU and Associated Countries. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible for funding under specific provisions, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination.

Target Sector: The target sector is energy, specifically focusing on improving energy efficiency in buildings and industry. This includes waste heat recovery, conversion to power, energy storage, industrial electrification, and integration of renewable energy sources. The destination aligns with the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) and addresses the energy demand side.

Mentioned Countries: China, EU, Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is demonstration and validation. Projects are expected to develop and validate novel systems and demonstrate them physically within operational industrial sites. The focus is on maximizing replicability and deployment of the solutions.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary by topic, with indicative budgets for each topic listed under the "Budget overview" section.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D2-08 has a budget of EUR 18,800,000 with an indicative number of 2 grants, suggesting around EUR 9,400,000 per grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-05 has a budget of EUR 20,250,000 with an indicative number of 3 grants, suggesting around EUR 6,750,000 per grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-06 has a budget of EUR 15,750,000 with an indicative number of 3 grants, suggesting around EUR 5,250,000 per grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-07 has a budget of EUR 27,000,000 with an indicative number of 4 grants, suggesting around EUR 6,750,000 per grant.
HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-09 has a budget of EUR 13,500,000 with an indicative number of 2 grants, suggesting around EUR 6,750,000 per grant.

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 lump sum grant to support their projects.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but can be inferred from the budget and indicative number of grants for each topic.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly mentioned.

This Horizon Europe call, part of the BATTERIES and ENERGY program, focuses on "Demonstration of industrial excess/waste heat conversion to mechanical or electrical power." It aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions by supporting projects that develop and demonstrate innovative systems for recovering and converting industrial waste heat into usable power. The call encourages projects to validate novel heat recovery systems, demonstrate their physical implementation in industrial sites, and maximize the replicability of their solutions across the EU and Associated Countries. Projects should also develop open guidelines and tools for integrating these systems into existing plant infrastructures and explore innovative business models for heat valorization. The call is structured as a single-stage application process with funding provided as lump sum grants. The overall goal is to contribute to a highly energy-efficient and climate-neutral European building stock and industry, aligning with the EU's Green Transition and energy security objectives.