Scalable and high efficiency materials and reactors for direct solar hydrogen production

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-06 is designed to foster innovations in solar-driven hydrogen production utilizing thermochemical cycles (TCC) and photoelectrochemical/photocatalytic (PEC/PC) technologies. This call is part of the Horizon Europe program and represents a research and innovation action (RIA) under the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. The objective is to develop scalable, high-efficiency materials and reactors for direct solar hydrogen production, aligning with Europe’s climate neutrality and energy resilience targets.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, and other legal entities capable of forming consortia. A minimum of three independent legal entities from different EU Member States or Associated Countries is required to submit proposals; sole applicants are not permitted.

Funding is primarily provided as a grant, specifically as a lump sum not exceeding EUR 3 million per project. This funding model simplifies the process, allowing beneficiaries to manage their budgets according to predetermined outcomes. Co-funding is encouraged but not mandatory, with candidates urged to show how additional financial resources will support their projects.

The projects are expected to commence at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and achieve TRL 5 upon completion. The target sectors focus on renewable hydrogen production technologies, wherein the proposals should seek to demonstrate solar hydrogen conversion on a relevant scale, achieving significant production rates and efficiencies.

Key project outcomes include achieving a hydrogen production rate exceeding 0.75 kg/m²/year, demonstrating solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies of at least 10%, along with maintaining operation for at least 300 cumulative hours under sunlight or simulated conditions.

The call is structured as a single-stage process opening on February 9, 2026, with a submission deadline of April 15, 2026. The evaluation process will consider the scientific and technical excellence of proposals, their feasibility for implementation, and potential impact. Historical data from previous calls indicates competitive success rates and a high number of submissions, suggesting that applicants must deliver compelling proposals to secure funding.

Successful proposals should focus on advancements in catalyst and reactor design, integration of materials that minimize dependency on critical raw materials, scalability of processes, and conducting comprehensive techno-economic and environmental assessments. This funding initiative aims to bolster Europe's position in the clean hydrogen market, promoting knowledge sharing and technological export potential in the renewable hydrogen sector.

This EU funding opportunity, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-06, aims to foster innovations in solar-driven hydrogen production using thermochemical cycles (TCC) and photoelectrochemical/photocatalytic (PEC/PC) technologies. The goal is to develop scalable and highly efficient materials and reactors for direct solar hydrogen production, aligning with EU climate neutrality and energy resilience objectives. The call falls under the HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-JU-RIA) and offers funding through a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS].

The expected outcomes of this funding opportunity are multi-faceted and ambitious. Projects should demonstrate solar-driven water-to-hydrogen conversion at a relevant scale and over substantial demonstration periods, utilizing innovative reactor concepts. A key focus is on integrating components and materials that minimize the use of critical raw materials (CRMs) to reduce dependency on these resources. Novel reactor and system designs should be based on continuous operation to maximize process efficiency. The development of multiscale models for TCC or PEC/PC reactors is also expected to support reactor design and operations. Furthermore, projects should conduct techno-economic and environmental analyses of the proposed technologies, contributing to the identification of cost-effective solar water-to-hydrogen conversion technologies for demonstration and industrialization beyond 2030. Ultimately, the aim is to reinforce Europe's scientific and knowledge base and enhance its technology export potential in solar hydrogen production. The project is expected to strengthen European leadership in efficient hydrogen production and create new business models based on TCC and PEC/PC technologies.

Project results should contribute to the Clean Hydrogen JU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) objectives and KPIs, specifically:

Hydrogen production rate: Achieve on-sun operation at a relevant scale (250-500 kW for TCC and 10 kW minimum for PEC/PC) for at least one month, reaching average hydrogen production rates higher than 0.75 kg/m²/year (land area) with the potential to reach 1.42 kg/m²/year by 2030.
Reactor efficiency: Demonstrate a solar radiation to hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of more than 10%, considering the higher heating value (HHV) of hydrogen. Specific targets include:
For TCC: ≥ 20%
For PEC: ≥ 10%
For PC: ≥ 10%
Maintain less than a 10% decrease per year of the STH, extrapolated from measurements over 300 hours of cumulated operation under natural or simulated sunlight.
Hydrogen production costs:
For TCC route:
Achieve a calculated system capital cost of 7.4k€/kg/day by 2030, assuming a scaled-up plant.
Achieve a calculated operational cost of 0.3 €/kg by 2030, assuming a scaled-up plant.
For all relevant routes: Achieve an overall cost of production of hydrogen of less than 6€/kg H2.
Conventional systems that combine separate photovoltaic (PV) panels and electrolysis units are excluded from the scope of this topic for the PEC/PC route.

The scope of this funding opportunity encompasses innovations in solar TCC and PEC/PC technologies, with a strong emphasis on system-level integration. Projects should target demonstration at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 and align with EU climate neutrality and energy resilience goals. Proposals should focus on the direct conversion of solar energy into hydrogen, avoiding intermediate photovoltaic-to-electricity pathways.

Key areas of focus include:

Improvement of catalyst and redox materials, electrodes and photoelectrodes, receivers, and membranes for better efficiency and lifetime, while minimizing the use of critical raw materials (CRMs).
Ensuring the reusability and recovery of materials and components.
Developing integrated architecture and reactor designs that minimize material use and optimize the balance of plant, with consideration for modular assemblies.
Focusing on the scalability of processes and designs.
Implementing smart energy and heat management within the overall process.
Assessing efficiency at a relevant scale and under representative conditions, verifying minimal efficiency losses upon upscaling.
Identifying degradation mechanisms across different scales and implementing countermeasures.
Supporting developments through modeling, such as thermodynamic/electrochemical models for material development and 3D CFD models for optimized reactor design.
Conducting full techno-economic and life cycle assessment (LCA) analyses.
Developing end-of-life and recycling strategies for functional materials and core components.

Proposals should address the challenges in TCC and PEC/PC processes to advance the technology to at least TRL 5, covering system performance, reactor development, and material development, all supported by a solid business case. This should be validated by developing, building, and testing dedicated reactor units and peripherals.

Applicants are encouraged to consider and utilize results from relevant past and ongoing JU projects such as HYDROSOL-Beyond, HySelect, FLOWPHOTOCHEM, and PH2OTOGEN. Proposals may also build upon the results of projects like the HYDROSOL family, SOL2HY2, PECSYS, Sun-to-Liquid, and NanoPEC.

The total budget allocated to this topic is 105,000,000 EUR, and activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and reach TRL 5 by the end of the project. The JU estimates that an EU contribution of a maximum of EUR 3.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.

The call is structured as a single-stage process, with a planned opening date of February 10, 2026, and a deadline of April 15, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

General conditions for participation include:

Admissibility Conditions: Compliance with proposal page limits and layout as described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. The page limit for Innovation Actions is 70 pages.
Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries.
Other Eligible Conditions: Compliance with additional eligibility criteria, including maximum contribution per topic and membership to Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research for certain topics.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Evaluation and award: Compliance with award criteria, scoring, thresholds, submission, and evaluation processes as detailed in Annex D and F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
Legal and financial set-up: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific provisions in the model grant agreement include:

Lump Sum Funding: All topics in the Call 2026 will use lump sum contributions.
Full Capitalized Costs: For certain topics, specific equipment, infrastructure, or other assets purchased for the action can be declared as full capitalized costs.
Subcontracting: Subcontracted work must be performed in target countries, including all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): Beneficiaries must inform the granting authority if results could contribute to European or international standards within 4 years after the action's end for topics including standardisation activities.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, Call-specific instructions, Clean Hydrogen JU Annual Work Programme 2026, Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), and Lump Sums Guidance for detailed information.

This funding opportunity represents a significant investment in advancing solar-driven hydrogen production technologies, aiming to establish Europe as a leader in efficient and sustainable hydrogen production. By focusing on innovative materials, reactor designs, and system-level integration, the call seeks to overcome existing challenges and pave the way for the widespread adoption of renewable hydrogen in various sectors of the economy. The emphasis on minimizing CRM dependency and promoting circular economy principles further underscores the commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency. The call is designed to support projects from TRL 3 to TRL 5, fostering the development and demonstration of technologies that are close to market readiness.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is open to a wide range of applicants, including but not limited to research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant stakeholders involved in hydrogen production technologies. The call encourages participation from both industrial and research partners. Membership to Hydrogen Europe / Hydrogen Europe Research may be required for some topics.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA) or Innovation Action (IA) or Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) under the Horizon Europe program. The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. For some topics, one partner in the consortium must be a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The target countries for subcontracting are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries. 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 energy sector, specifically focusing on renewable hydrogen production technologies, thermo-chemical cycles (TCC), photoelectrochemical/photocatalytic (PEC/PC) water splitting, advanced materials (catalysts, redox materials), reactor design, and system integration.

Mentioned Countries: The target countries are all Member States of the European Union and all Associated Countries. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries are mentioned as having specific provisions for funding.

Project Stage: The activities are expected to start at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project.

Funding Amount: The JU estimates that an EU contribution of maximum EUR 3.00 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately for topic HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-06. Other topics have different maximum contribution amounts. HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-03-03: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 5.00 million, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-04-02: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 8.00 million, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-06-01: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 17.00 million, HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-06-02: The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 8.00 million.

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

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

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned.

Co-funding Requirement: For the Hydrogen Valleys topics a large amount of co-investment/co-funding of project participants/beneficiaries including national and regional programmes is expected.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (JU), aims to foster innovation in scalable and highly efficient materials and reactors for direct solar hydrogen production. It seeks to address the climate emergency and energy crisis by promoting renewable hydrogen production through thermo-chemical cycles (TCC) and photoelectrochemical/photocatalytic (PEC/PC) water splitting technologies. The call encourages projects that focus on system-level integration, material development, reactor design, and achieving Technology Readiness Level 5. With a budget of EUR 3.00 million for topic HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2026-01-06, the call targets a wide range of applicants from EU member states and associated countries, emphasizing the importance of consortia with strong industrial and research partnerships. The call aims to strengthen European leadership in efficient hydrogen production and create new business models based on TCC and PEC/PC technologies, contributing to the Clean Hydrogen JU's objectives and KPIs. The funding will be distributed as lump sums, and projects should consider the reusability and recyclability of materials, scalability of processes, and techno-economic and environmental analyses.