The grant supports projects that focus on the recovery and conversion of industrial excess/waste heat into mechanical or electrical power. This initiative aims to reduce energy costs, enhance energy efficiency, and promote business models in industries with significant heating demands within the EU and Associated Countries.
General information
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)2021–2027
- Call
- BATTERIES and ENERGY HORIZON-CL5-2027-05
- Programme part
- Pillar II · Global Challenges & CompetitivenessCluster 5 · Climate, Energy and Mobility
- Type of action
- HORIZON-IA Innovation Actions
- Type of MGA
- HORIZON-AG-LS HORIZON Lump Sum Grant
- Status
- Forthcoming
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Opening date
- 05.05.2027
- Deadline date
- 15.09.2027, 17:00 Brussels time
- Cross-cutting priorities
Budget overview
| Type of action | Budget 2027 | EU contribution per project | Grants | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HORIZON-IAInnovation Actions | €13.5M | €6.8M | 2 | 15.09.2027 |
Expected outcome
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Based on the results of the project, at least one industrial sector with a significant heating demand in the EU and Associated Countries develops pathways and business models to measurably increase the industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion to power, thereby reducing their energy costs.
- Measurable improvement of industrial excess/waste heat recovery and conversion to power, possibly combined with energy storage, in terms of energy efficiency, flexibility of electricity production, climate and environment protection, reliability and safety, physical and cyber security, and profitability.
Scope
Better use of process excess/waste heat represents a significant source of energy savings for industries. The conversion of excess heat back to electricity, would improve energy efficiency, mitigate the increase of electricity consumption and cost due to industrial electrification, as well as offer flexible electricity generation to stabilise the grid, if combined with thermal and/or electrical energy storage.
Projects must address all the following items:
- Develop and validate novel excess/waste heat recovery and conversion systems.
- Demonstrate physically within one or more operational industrial site(s), the recovery of industrial excess/waste heat, possibly combined with energy storage, and its conversion to mechanical or electrical power.
- Maximise the replicability and deployment of the concept/solution in the EU and Associated Countries’ plants in the same industrial sector. Already before starting the design phase, the needs of most EU and Associated Countries’ factories in the same industrial sector(s) should be surveyed and analysed in order to design a solution that can be adapted to meet most of them.
- Identify common components, optimise and define a standardised and cost-competitive version of them.
- Develop open technical and economical guidelines and open tools for integrating such systems into SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and EMS (Energy Management System) infrastructures of existing plants, and for developing innovative business model of heat valorisation as a flexible electricity generation offered to stabilise the power grid.
- Disseminate results notably (but not only) to the relevant communities in cluster 4 ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ private-public partnerships.
Who can apply
- A consortium of at least three independent organisations from three different EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, at least one from an EU Member State.
- Ukraine has been associated to the programme since 2022: Ukrainian organisations can coordinate and receive funding on equal terms.
- Universities, research organisations, companies (including SMEs), public authorities and NGOs can take part.
Topic-specific condition: If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).In line with the “restriction on control in innovation actions in critical technology areas” delineated in General Annex B of the General Annexes, entities established in an eligible country but which are directly or indirectly controlled by China or by a legal entity established in China are not eligible to participate in the action.
Applicant types in our database: Higher Education Institutions (HEI), Research Institute or Organization (RnD), A Government Structure or Central Authority, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Start-Up, Non-governmental organization (NGO).
How to apply
- Register your organisation on the Funding & Tenders portal and get a PIC (9 digits).
- Build a consortium or join one: use Partner Search on the topic page.
- Download the proposal template (Part A forms, Part B narrative) in the submission system on the topic page.
- Submit by 15.09.2027, 17:00 Brussels time. The system opens on 05.05.2027.
The official topic text, templates and submission are on the Funding & Tenders topic page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline for HORIZON-CL5-2027-05-D4-09?
How much funding is available?
What type of action is it?
Can Ukrainian organisations apply?
Where do I apply?
Become a partner in a proposal
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